Konoha's Stolen Hero
by Apex Soldier
Summary: Naruto, Konoha's hero, the boy who would protect them from the Kyubi. However, what if, on the night of his birth, he was stolen? Follow Naruto as he grows up in a new home and develops a hatred for his old home and father... Also angst/romance/etc... AU
1. The Stolen Fox

**Hey...**

**This story was conceived from the challenge set up by Hektols...**

**Few things we need to be clear of:**

**1. I already have the pairing in mind so I don't want to hear anyone 'suggesting' any pairings...**

**2. This first chapter will be short... Sorry... I promise the next chapter will be longer...**

**Now that we've got that cleared up, I'll start the chapter...**

_**"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal."  
**_**~From a headstone in Ireland**

**Chapter 1/Prologue: The Stolen Fox...**

**I don't own anything...**

* * *

The sound of an infant crying could be heard though the night. A blond child cried in the arms of his mother, who was unconscious and unable to tend to the infant. Over them, stood the hero of Konoha, Minato Namikaze, Konoha's Yellow Flash. He smiled softly at his family who he was thankful were alive. His fight with Madara proved to be anything but easy but in the end, he pulled through.

He did find it odd that Madara suddenly ran off but with the Kyūbi sealed in his son and his wife still breathing, he couldn't find much to complain about. Although his wished to spare his son from the curse of containing a chakra beast, he was at least grateful everyone in his family was in one piece. He called for his ANBU to recover the victims of Madara's spontaneous attack and to send them to the morgue. He watched sorrowfully as Hiruzen and his wife, Biwako Sarutobi, were taken away. The life of a shinobi was an unpredictable and dangerous profession, not only for the ninja him or herself but for their families as well. If it wasn't for Hiruzen, he would've been the one lying on the ground, dead.

He summoned one of his clones and ordered it to summon a meeting with Konoha's council, clan heads and all other jōnins. The clone left with a nod and Minato shifted his gaze to Kushina. He walked over to her and picked her up with her cuddling in his arms, wary of their child.

"Little Naruto," Minato said pridefully as he watched his son begin to calm down. "My son."

"Our... son." Kushina added weakly and Minato chuckled softly with a nod.

"I'm sorry, our son." Minato said as he used Hiraishin to send the three to their home. The use of the jutsu disturbed Naruto and caused him to cry loudly. Kushina groaned.

"It's your turn to deal with him." Kushina mumbled.

"He's in your arms." Minato told her and she mumbled incoherently before remaining quiet. Minato sweat dropped. "Fine, but I'm only doing this because you gave birth to him." Minato said and a smile appeared on Kushina's lips. "Now she hears me." Minato commented to himself as he headed for their bedroom. Somehow managing to open the door with his foot, he gently laid his wife on the bed and watched as she rolled to her side, taking Naruto with her.

Kushina lay him down next to her, opening her eyes and smiling motherly as she hummed a tune and ran her fingers through his small, blond hairs.

"I thought it was my turn?" Minato teased and Kushina giggled.

"You had your chance, _daddy_." Kushina taunted and Minato smirked as he lay on the other side of the bed. Staring at his wife, he rested his head on the pillow. Just the motherly way Kushina touched her son made Minato indescribably happy.

"I get a second chance, though, right _mommy?"_ He asked with a pout and Kushina nodded, never taking her eyes off their child.

"You get no arguments from me." She answered softly and Minato chuckled and started to do what Kushina was doing. The softness of his hair felt almost as if it wasn't real and Minato could've sworn Naruto was smiling.

"He's going to look like you." Kushina stated after a moment of silence and Minato smiled widely.

"No, he's going to have my hair but other than that, he'll look like you." Minato said. "He'll probably act like you too." He added and Kushina softly placed her forehead against his.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-chan." Kushina said with a smile and Minato placed a light hand on her cheek.

"Why should you be sorry? With my hair and your looks, we'll need our best jutsus just to keep the girls away from him." Minato joked and received a playful hit over the head by Kushina. "What did I say?" He asked with a playful pout.

"He's too young to be thinking about girls." She scowled and Minato chuckled. "He's still my little Naru-chan. My sweet, lovable baby boy." She said lovingly as she shifted her gaze to her son again. She was too busy looking at her son to see Minato staring at her as if she grew two angel wings.

"You're going to be an amazing mother to our child." He whispered and Kushina's violet eyes connected with Minato's azure ones.

"You think so?" She asked and Minato nodded his head.

"Dattebane." He mocked and Kushina closed her eyes tiredly and smiled.

"I'll get you for that tomorrow." She said sleepily.

"Until then, rest. We have a big day tomorrow, what with the welcoming party and all." He said as he got off the bed. Kushina nodded and held Naruto close to her as they both slept silently. He kissed Naruto on the cheek and gave an innocent but loving kiss on the lips to his wife before walking out of the room and stepping into the hall. He slowly closed the door, so he wouldn't wake Kushina or Naruto up. Making hand signs, another Minato appeared and Minato ordered it to stay to guard his family. He then walked down the hall and to the front door with much on his mind. A knock came from the door just as he opened the door and was greeted to the sight of Kakashi.

"Minato-sensei." Kakashi greeted as he bowed.

"Kakashi." Minato greeted and walked by. "Make it quick, I got a meeting to attend to." Minato spoke quickly and seriously and Kakashi nodded.

"I wanted to see how you and Kushina are." Kakashi said just as quickly and Minato nodded his head with a thumb up.

"We're fine; Naruto's great too." Minato added with a smile and Kakashi eye smiled.

"And Sandaime-sama?" Kakashi asked and Minato stopped walking. Kakashi blinked, watching his sensei think to himself quietly and somberly. Minato slowly turned his head and stared at Kakashi with solemn eyes.

"He's not with us anymore." He stated before continuing on his walk. Sadness crept into his heart and he felt his mood darken a bit. Kakashi didn't notice that Minato had continued walking without him and before long, he walked in a different direction. After a couple of minutes, Kakashi felt someone a few feet in front of him.

"Kakashi-teme." Kakashi looked up and was surprised to see his best friend up so late.

Minato shook off his sadness and replaced it with a stoic and serious expression and demeanor as the Hokage tower was in sight. He went up the steps and through the hall until he stopped in front of blue double doors. He took in a deep breath and opened the door to see Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane sitting behind their seats in a giant room. They were sat beside a chair that was in between them. Minato waved to the jonin and clan heads that resided in the room as he made his way to his seat.

"What's going on, Minato?" Homura asked but Minato didn't acknowledge him, he just faced the clan heads and jonin.

"As you know, we were attacked by the Kyūbi, the nine-tailed fox." The jonin and clan heads nodded. "The battle was difficult but in the end, it is no longer a threat to us."

"You managed to kill the demon?" A random jonin asked and Minato shook his head.

"Something like the Kyūbi is too much to handle, even for me." Minato informed them and they started muttering to themselves. "However, I managed to seal it in a human container so it would not roam free."

"Why don't we kill the container?" Shouted another jonin. "That way, the Kyūbi dies with it." A couple of agreeing murmurs were heard before they were all hushed by the sound of Minato's fist hitting the table in front of him and the feel of his killing intent.

"No!" He shouted and glared at everyone in the room. "Killing the host will not kill the Kyūbi. It will only be released and all our hard work would go to waste." He scolded. The jonin and clan heads remained silent. "On top of that, I won't allow anyone to kill my son." Shocked gasps and looks of shock were seen and heard throughout the room.

"So, what you're saying is…" Hiashi began and Minato nodded.

"That's correct, my son is the Kyūbi's container. If anyone wants to kill my son, I suggest you go through me first." He directed his gaze on every person in the room and watched as everyone averted their gaze. Minato noticed that his friends, Shikaku, Chōza, Inoichi, Tsume and Hiashi seemed to support him and showed no ill-will toward his son. Others, like Shibi, and majority of the jonin seemed to be neutral on the subject. Minato's eyes narrowed when he saw a man with black hair make his way towards him.

The man had short, brown hair and onyx eyes with visible creases below them. He wore the standard ninja vest, a black t-shirt with the Konoha Military Police Force symbol, and a black cloak with white diamonds on the bottom that stops just before his ankles. His black eyes stared challengingly at Minato's blue eyes.

"The Kyūbi is a menace and a hazard to Konoha's safety. As Leader of the Konoha Military Police Force, I propose we keep the _child_ locked up and under constant supervision." Fugaku Uchiha said.

"I second that." Minato's eyes glared holes into the second man who spoke. Said man was Danzō, an old war hawk who was always looking for potential future ROOT members. Minato had yet to discover the forbidden group but he had a gut feeling it was still alive somewhere.

"He is my son, my wife and I defeated the Kyūbi together and helped seal it in my son. If he was a danger to the village, I would not be here." Minato assured as he glared at Fugaku and Danzō.

"As you said, he is your son, so how do we know you're not lying to us just to save your son's hide?" Danzō asked.

"The Kyūbi was sealed within my son, the choice was heartbreaking but I knew it had to be done. I sacrificed my son's future for this village's safety because I am the Hokage. And I won't let anything obscure my duties. I give you my word, the Kyūbi will not be let lose in Konoha." Minato declared and noticed that many of the people in the room became more relaxed.

"But-" Fukagu was about to say but was interrupted.

"Silence!" Minato shouted, silencing everyone. "The subject of my son and the Kyūbi is over. Not another word." He scanned the room and saw no one try to argue. He saw a few faces that seemed angered by the current news but Minato knew they wouldn't dare do anything to go against him.

"I've got more news." His voice became solemn and harsh as he continued to speak. "I know we've lost lives today, none of which can ever be replaced. However, today was the passing of an old comrade and a person who was like a grandfather to us all." Minato said and some people immediately knew who he was talking about.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, The God of Shinobi, the Professor, passed away." Minato said and fought back a single tear. "Let us bow our head, not only to show respect to his passing but also of the others we've lost." Minato bowed his head and everyone did as well. After a few moments, he raised his head and saw others staring at him.

"This meeting is adjourned." He said and many shinobi started leaving. The Ino-Shika-Cho walked up to him and smiled.

"So your son is finally born, eh? Troublesome." Shikaku said and Minato smiled for the first time since the beginning of the meeting.

"Don't listen to him; having a child is a blessing." Inoichi said and Minato nodded.

"Babies are expensive and they sure love to eat." Chōza said and Shikaku chuckled.

"No, Chōza, yours just loves to eat. My kid just sleeps all the time. My troublesome wife has to wake him up just to feed him. Brat is too lazy to even wake up for food." Shikaku said and the four started to laugh. He then looked at his other long time friend, Inoichi. "Yours probably never stops crying, am I right, Inoichi?" Said man blinked as the other continued laughing.

"That's right; you did end up having a girl." Chōza stated and Inoichi looked away.

"I have nothing to be ashamed of." He said and the others started to calm down. "She will be Konoha's best kunoichi." Inoichi declared.

"I beg to differ." The four men turned to see Hiashi making his way towards them. His stoic face was looking at each of them. "My daughter will be born in two months from now. She will give your daughter more than a challenge." The five men became deadly silent before Minato started to laugh again. Shikaku, Chōza and Inoichi followed and Hiashi smiled.

"It seems that the next generation will be an interesting group." Hiashi stated and they nodded. They continued to talk among themselves before Minato yawned.

"Damn, the Yellow Flash is tired." Shikaku taunted and Minato lightly glared at him. "Hopefully there won't be another attack." Minato bade them a farewell before leaving and heading home. He entered his home, dispersed his clone whose memories showed that no one tried to attack his family, and climbed into bed. He saw Kushina open a magenta eye before it closed and she smiled.

"I'm home." Minato said and Kushina nodded feeling Minato caress her cheek.

"I love you." She mumbled sleepily, causing Minato's smile to widen.

"I love you too." He said before looking at his son. "And you as well, Naruto." He added before falling asleep.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Minato's eyes sprang open as his heartbeat raced and cold sweat travelled down his face. His dream… It felt so real. His heart felt heavy as the images of his dreams replayed in his head. He shook his head; thankfully, he was forgetting some of the more gruesome details of the dreams.

His cerulean eyes scanned the room and saw the still night sky from his window. However, according to his clock, dawn was nearing. He turned to see his son still sleeping soundly but his wife missing. He propped himself up and rubbed his eyes. He got off the bed and out of the room. Down the hall, he saw a light coming from the kitchen. Suddenly, his nose was assaulted by an alluring and delicious aroma. He followed it and wasn't surprised when he saw Kushina standing over the stove.

"Why am I not surprised?" Minato said as he hugged his wife from behind. She smiled and put her left hand on top of his head.

"You hungry?" She asked and Minato took a deep breath.

"Now I am." Kushina laughed as she served herself and Minato some salt ramen. They sat down on the table and were about to eat when Naruto started crying. Minato got up but was stopped by Kushina who placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's ok, I'll get him." She said as she walked out of the kitchen. He stared longingly at the ramen as he waited for her to comeback. His senses suddenly steeled and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

"MINATO!" Kushina's bloodcurdling scream broke the night's silence. His heart pounding, Minato jumped out of his seat and ran to his bedroom to see Kushina staring fearfully at the other side of the room. He slowly turned his eyes to the other side the room and his eyes widened. Standing near the open window was a masked man holding his crying, newborn child in one hand and a kunai in the other. To Minato, it seemed like time slowed down as the masked man brought the kunai over Naruto and stabbed him with it. His cries abruptly stopped and stock-still silence covered the room. Tears appeared on Minato's eyes while Kushina shook with dread and shock. Even under the mask, Minato could see a smile on the man's lips.

With reflexes developed through years of training, Minato grabbed his three-pronged kunai from his kunai pouch and tossed it at the man who killed his son. The man turned his head to the side, avoiding the kunai. His eyes widened when Minato disappeared.

"Bastard!" Minato grabbed the man by his collar and threw him through the window. The sound of glass breaking could be heard as the man rolled and stopped. Minato jumped out to follow him and took out four more kunai. He threw them and surrounded the man with them. The man looked around and saw more of the three-pronged kunai. Minato used the Hiraishin jutsu and the man found himself surrounded by yellow flashes. With a kunai in hand, Minato began to cut the man up through various angles and sides. The man rose from the attacks and when the attacks finally stopped, he headed for the ground. The man's eyes slowly opened and the last thing he saw was Minato heading for him with a blue, spiraling ball of chakra in his right hand.

"**Rasengan!**" Minato shouted as he slammed the rasengan on the man's stomach, drilling his stomach and causing the man to create a crater in the ground under him. Minato took a step back, inhaled deeply and was suddenly hit by the grief of losing his only son. He fell to his knees and tears fell from his eyes. Summoning another rasengan, he slammed it into the ground, letting off his frustration. He was about to do it again but was stopped by a hand. He looked up; his cold, hard eyes glancing back at violet ones.

"Minato-kun…" Kushina cried as she held her side with her right hand. Minato looked down and saw blood staining her white robe. "H-He… I… N-N-Nar…" Minato grabbed her as she fell and held her tightly. She sobbed in his chest and shook violently. Minato held her as tightly as he could and cried in her shoulder. The pain he felt was worse than any feeling he's ever felt before. He felt like he got kicked in the chest by Tsunade and found it difficult to breathe. By the way his wife sniffed and cried, he had no doubt she felt the same.

"He killed my baby boy!" Kushina shouted and Minato nodded somberly. A team of ANBU appeared, hearing Kushina's earlier scream and took note of the environment. Minato composed himself long enough to stare at the four ANBU with cold, steeled eyes.

"Get him to Ibiki. NOW!" The four nodded as one of them recovered the unconscious man and disappeared. Minato focused his attention back on his wife and saw her shivering. He picked her up and brought her back into the house. He placed her on the bed before she stood up and walked out of the room. He followed her and saw her go to the living room and sat on the couch. Minato sat beside her and she rested her head on his shoulder. He looked down at her and saw silent tears falling down her cheeks. He felt his own tears quietly traveling down his cheek and he quickly wiped them away.

They sat quickly, neither saying a word nor looking at each other. They just sat there until they fell asleep.

Off in the distance, a man smiled as he held a sleeping, blond haired baby in his right hand. He looked down at the baby and he chuckled. He stopped laughing as he felt a second presence nearing. Turning around, he saw the mask of his leader.

"Madara." Two voices said simultaneously as the man bowed as best he could with the child. Madara walked out of the shadows and looked down at Naruto. His lone, sharingan eye spun slightly as he focused on him.

"So your mission was to abduct the Yondaime Hokage's only son, eh Zetsu?" Madara asked and the half plant, half man smiled.

"That's correct." Black Zetsu said as his white side chuckled.

"It was really easy actually." White Zetsu said.

"What of your client?" Madara asked and White Zetsu laughed while his counterpart scoffed.

"Tch, the fool was just cannon fodder." The Black side said with disgust.

"Haha, what a baka." White Zetsu said with a laugh.

"Very well." Madara said and was about to walk away but was stopped by Zetsu.

"Didn't you come here for the Kyūbi?" White Zetsu said, nodding his head to Naruto.

"Baka, shut up." Black Zetsu scolded as Madara turned.

"I did but there's been a change in plans." Madara informed them as he eyed Naruto again. "Go, finish your mission. Report back to me when you've completed it." Zetsu nodded before 'swallowing' Naruto with his venus fly trap-like appendage and blended with the ground. Madara began to walk before using his space-time technique to head to Kirigakure. If he expected his plans to begin, he'd have to start soon. Besides, he needed to look for more recruits.

* * *

**Hopefully, you enjoyed the story so far...**

**I got a few plans for this and hopefully, it'll be one of my best works...**

**Reviews would be appreciated...**

**More details will be given in the next chapter and we'll see where little Naruto is taken...**

**Any guesses?**

**Till then...**

**Next Chapter: Welcome Little Naruto...**

******Good luck with whatever and if you got a problem with me or one of my stories, please feel free to: Deal with it, Get over it or Choke on it...**

******P.s: Title might change...**


	2. Welcome Little Naruto

**Yo**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited or put this story on their story alert...**

**I really appreciate all the support...**

**Hope you enjoy the story... Guess we'll see...**

**_"Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional."_  
****~Chili Davis**

**Chapter 2: Welcome Little Naruto...**

**I don't own Naruto...**

* * *

Zetsu smirked as he walked through the hall with a silent Naruto in his hands. Currently, he was disguised as the man who hired him. All he needed to do was report in, give his boss the baby and he'd take a dead man's pay along with his own.

Life as a conman was good.

He appeared in front of double doors and knocked. He waited for a few seconds but an answer never came. He knocked again but still no one answered. He scoffed as he pushed the doors open and saw a giant room with a desk on the opposite side of the room with a chair with its back to the door. Zetsu walked up to the desk and placed Naruto on top of the table. He grabbed the chair and turned it with enough strength to make it face him. The man sitting in the chair gasped and let out a surprised yelp as he woke from a nap. He blinked when he stared at the man in front of him.

He wore a black jumpsuit with a mask concealing the bottom half of his face. His brown hair looked ruffled and unkempt as his tired green eyes stared at him. His brown Iwagakure flak jacket was placed over his black jumpsuit.

The man in the chair glared at the man in front of him.

"What do you want, Haru?" The man asked angrily. Haru just stared at the man. His facial features included a triangular beard and a mustache with angular corners. He had a big red nose and thick rectangular-shaped eyebrows. The top of his head was completely bald, although, he had some white hair at the back and sides of his head, the back of which was tied with a yellow ribbon into a topknot.

"My apologize Tsuchikage-sama but I have brought your package." Ōnoki blinked and looked down on his desk to see a small child wrapped in a white, ragged blanket. Ōnoki noticed that on the side of the blanket was a word. He turned his head slightly and saw the word 'Naruto' stitched on it.

"This is the Yondaime Hokage's son?" Ōnoki asked and Haru nodded his head.

"Yes sir." Ōnoki stared at Naruto before he pulled out a suitcase.

"Here, this is what you wanted, right?" Ōnoki asked as he tossed the suitcase at Haru. He caught it and opened it in a single motion. He looked inside and after a moment of silence, he nodded his head.

"If you need anything else..." Haru saw Ōnoki shake his head. "Very well. I shall go give the Akatsuki their pay." Ōnoki seemed to be in his own little world with Naruto so Haru just left without another word. Haru stepped out of his office and as soon as he did, he sunk into the floor and disappeared.

"Finally," He started as he held Naruto up in the air with a twisted smile. "I have the means of repaying your _father_ back for all the shit he's put me through." He said as he saw Naruto open his blue eyes.

**[*.*.*.*]**

"Old man!" Ōnoki sighed as he heard running coming from outside his office. He waited another second before a small child ran into the room. He had short silver hair and wore a dark orange shirt with blank shorts. He had lively blue eyes and odd whisker marks on the sides of his face.

His name was Naruto.

"Old man, help!" Naruto yelled as he closed the door and put his back against it. A second later, there was a knock and Ōnoki raised an eyebrow.

"Open this door, Naruto-kun!" Ōnoki sighed at hearing his granddaughter's voice. Why he introduced Naruto to her, he would never remember though now he wished he hadn't. Ever since they could walk and talk, Kurotsuchi has done nothing but torture Naruto. They were great friends, no doubt about that, but Ōnoki could see that Naruto was at the age where girls were nothing but a hindrance. He chuckled as he remembered when he was in that phase.

"Help." Naruto said with distress in his voice.

"What happened this time?" Ōnoki asked, a little stressed out from the amount of paperwork on his desk. "I don't have time for this."

"I tripped on my foot, fell and made all of Kurotsuchi-chan's lunch fall to the floor." Naruto answered quickly and Ōnoki only understood half of it. "Now she's gonna kill me!" Naruto said as he kept the door shut. Ōnoki sighed.

"Come over here." Naruto gulped as he prepared himself for a run and in a flash, he appeared by Ōnoki's side as a young girl fell on the floor. She had short black hair and wore a red shirt with black shorts. Her pink eyes blinked before she looked up.

"You're dead, Naruto-kun." She said as she stood and sprinted towards Naruto only to be stopped by her grandfather who moved in front of him.

"Stop this racket right now!" He yelled and the two children became still and silent. The two stared at the floor with sudden interest. Ōnoki looked at Kurotsuchi and saw that she was blushing. He rubbed his temples as he sat back down on his chair with a groan. "I'm getting too old for this shit." He mumbled as he looked back up and saw his granddaughter stealing glances at the silver haired boy.

"Kurotsuchi, I don't want to have repeat this in the future; I need Naruto ALIVE." He said, stressing out the word 'alive'. Kurotsuchi turned her head to the left.

"I wasn't really gonna kill him." She muttered under her breath and Ōnoki raised an eyebrow.

"Go home, Kurotsuchi." He said and Kurotsuchi took one last look at Naruto before walking out of the room. Naruto stuck his tongue out and pulled down his bottom eyelid.

"Nyh!" Ōnoki coughed in his balled up fist and Naruto turned and stood at attention.

"As for you," Ōnoki stood and walked around the desk. "I need to have a word with you." He said as he closed the door of his office. He took his time as he turned and walked back to his desk. He stood in front of his desk, facing Naruto. He just continued to look at the floor.

"You are seven now and one of Iwa's promising academy students. You are even strong enough to challenge a fresh Genin and win. You don't see that a lot these days," Ōnoki said proudly and Naruto finally looked into his eyes with a smile. "That's why," Ōnoki continued as he walked back into his chair. "I'm going to spend more time training you." He said and Naruto's eyes widened.

"F-For... For real?" Naruto asked and Ōnoki nodded.

"Not only me though," Ōnoki added and Naruto's eyebrow raised in confusion. "Han and Roshi will be helping me as well." Naruto's eyes lit up like fireworks as a smile graced his lips.

"Han-nii and old man Roshi? Really?" Naruto asked in hyperactive eagerness. It then vanished when a question popped into his head. "Why?" He asked and Ōnoki's mood became solemn.

"We need you to learn how to use the Kyūbi." He answered and Naruto looked at his stomach. He was told of the Kyūbi sealed inside him two years ago. It took him a while to completely accept it. They heard stories about Konoha being attacked by the Kyūbi and even managing to kill it. At first, that confused Naruto but when Ōnoki explained that it was actually peace offering from Konoha, Naruto just shrugged it off.

He frowned at the thought of Konoha. Those peace-loving fools should've been destroyed during the last shinobi war. However, they ended up winning because of the Yondaime Hokage.

That man irritated Naruto. He was a cold-hearted killer who was the bane of Naruto's existence ever since Ōnoki told him that he was the reason why his parents died.

"Thinking about your parents?" Ōnoki asked. At first, he didn't even hesitate to lie to Naruto. He never felt bad, in fact, he felt rejuvenated knowing that he was turning the Yondaime Hokage's son against him. But recently, it's been getting harder and harder to do it. At least, consciously.

"I... I didn't even get to see them." He said sadly. "It's all _his_ fault." He stated angrily as he wiped away his tears.

"Easy, boy," Ōnoki said and Naruto took some deep breaths before nodding and looking at Ōnoki. "Now, the training will be hard and will push you to your limit. Emotionally, physically, and mentally, but, in the end, the results will be remarkable." Ōnoki leaned forward and motioned Naruto to come closer.

"By the end of the next six years, you'll be strong enough to participate in the Chūnin exams." Naruto's eyes shined as a huge smile graced his lips.

"You think so?" Ōnoki nodded and sat back down on his chair.

"However, I'm gonna need you to be serious while we train." Ōnoki said seriously and Naruto gulped. "No jokes, no laughs." Naruto nodded after some hesitation and Ōnoki smiled. "Good, now go look for Roshi, he'll start your training with the Kyūbi." Naruto nodded and ran out of the room. Ōnoki watched him leave with a sad smile before returning to his paperwork.

"I see great things in your future. Naruto."

**[*.*.*.*]**

A figure hid behind a bush, he saw three men stationed in front of the double doors of the warehouse he was watching. They were talking amongst themselves, to any normal person these men would look distracted. However he knew that was far from the truth. He took a deep breath before flashing a brief smile. He then covered the bottom half of his face with a mask. The figure looked up at the moon for a moment before jumping out from behind the bush and speeding towards the guards

The figure was so fast that the guards were barely able to react before he was on top of them. The center guard managed to throw a kunai, striking the person trying to kill them between the eyes. The figure's face had a shocked expression just before it broke down into pebbles. The guards looked on in shock as they were not expecting it. The figure that was clad all in black appeared directly in front of the center guard smashing his elbow into the guards face.

The figure then turned and drove his right foot into the second guard's gut. The third guard tried to kick him in the face but the figure grabbed his leg, spun and tossed him to the second guard. Both hit the wall behind them, knocking the second guard out and making the third fall to the floor. The figure jumped on top of the third guard and smashed his right fist into the man's face, successfully knocking him out. He flinched when he heard a sickening sound come from the hit but he shook it of and proceeded with his plan.

With all three guards disposed of, the figure walked into the building and saw tons of guards around the place. There were countless boxes, platforms and levels everywhere. There were two stairs on each side of the building, leading to the second floor.

"Did you hear that?" The figure moved behind a box and heard footsteps heading his way. The man was taller than the figure but the figure smirked as he flipped into the air and landed in front of the man. The man blinked but before he could say anything, the figure jumped and kneed the man in the gut. The man doubled over and the figure grabbed onto the man with a bear hug and bent back. Using his strength, the figure threw the man back and the man went through the wall. The sound resonated through the warehouse and the figure knew his cover was blown when he heard the sound of footsteps behind him.

"Don't move!" The figure cursed as he felt a kunai tip rest on his back. He put his arms up and was led through the warehouse. He saw every guard looking at him with anger. He smirked and slid to the side as he grabbed the man with the kunai and slammed his face into the box in front of him. The man fell with a thud and the figure looked around.

"Get him!" A man yelled. The figure fell to the floor and kicked his legs out just as a man stood over him. The man fell and the figure grabbed the man's kunai before stabbing the fallen man behind the neck and ducking into a group of boxes as the other guards started throwing their kunai and shuriken. The figure threw his kunai at a man on top of a pile of boxes and hit him in the middle of his chest. The figure took out more kunai and hit three other guards; two on the ground and one sitting on the second floor. The one on the second floor fell off and landed on incoming guards.

Forcing a kunai free from the box next to him, he aimed it at the light over him and threw. That portion of the warehouse became shrouded by darkness and the figure smirked as he heard footsteps suddenly stop in the middle of the darkness. The only thing the four guards heard before they died was the sound of an object flying through the air.

The other guards began to panic when they heard four bodies hit the ground unceremoniously.

On the lower levels, a handful of guards appeared and the figure jumped from the darkness and kicked the guard standing in front of the group. The guard fell back and knocked the other four guards down. The figure grabbed one guard by the neck and used his strength to drag the man through the floor and slam him into a pillar holding the level above it. Everyone heard it crack, but the pillar didn't fall. The figure ducked as one guard tried to attack him from behind and instead kicked the guard plastered to the cracked pillar.

The figure grabbed the surprised guard and sent him through the thin and cracked pillar, making it fall on him and tilting it. The figure looked at it for a second before ducking a kick from a new guard and jumping back. He climbed up the tilted platform before jumping down and kicking a guard in the face with a roundhouse kick. Another appeared and the figure rolled to his back after grabbing the new guard's collar. He placed his feet on the guard's stomach and monkey flipped him into a wall. He jumped to his feet and smiled.

He growled when a kunai dug into his shoulder, and, before another could be thrown, the figure yanked out the kunai from his bleeding shoulder and tossed it back at the guard who threw it. The wound healed in moments. He cursed when an alarm went off and ran to the door nearest him. He climbed up the wall and held on to the alarm that flashed a red light. A second later, the door burst open and four guards appeared, looking around the room, confused.

The figure dropped down and kicked one guard behind his head and landed in between the three remaining guards. He then punched one guard, sending him flying through the door. Turning, the figure dropped just as a punch almost hit his head and kicked the guard's legs from under him. The guard fell and the figure cartwheeled over the guard, grabbing on to his shirt and tossing him into a box, shattering the box and knocking him out.

The last guard stood in fear, too afraid to turn around. The figure waited until the guard finally turned and threw a punch. The figure caught it, pivoted and shoved his elbow in the man's chin. He was airborne for only a second but that's all the figure needed to turn and kick him in the gut, sending him flying into a pile of unconscious men. The figure climbed up the wall and made it to the platform above him but froze when fifteen guards appeared out of nowhere. The figure then ran in the opposite direction before jumping and grabbing onto a railing above him. He turned his body and kicked the pursuing guards in the face. They fell off the platform and the figure swung himself to the adjacent platform just as more guards appeared. He slid and knocked the guards off their feet and into the ground ten feet below them.

The figure stood, facing the other guards and gave a harsh kick to one in the face with sickening sound, turned and kicked another in the gut with the same foot. He spun and grabbed a guard's face and shoved his left knee into it. The figure groaned as he got punched in the back of the head. He used the momentum from the punch to roll, appear under a guard, place his hands firmly on the ground and push himself up to kick the guard in the face. Jumping to his feet, the figure grabbed the airborne guard's feet and threw him at the guard who punched him. The other guards caught up to the figure but were stopped when the figure ran in between them.

He kneed a guy in the gut, turned, sent a sharp palm to the face, kicked a third in the stomach and without looking back, kicked the guy he kneed in the face. Predicting what was to come, the figure back-flipped just as another guard appeared and kicked him in the chin. Still on his hands, the figure kicked the next guard in the face repeatedly before the guard fell, unconscious.

Three more guards fell from the second floor and the figure spun, extending out his legs and efficiently kicking each one in the face. He then jumped and landed on another guard and saw more heading for him. He rolled back, avoiding a man's punch, then rolled onto his feet and leapt up, shoving his knee into the man's stomach and punching him in the face as the man doubled over. Another crack was heard.

The figure ran away from a guard, ran up a wall, back flipped and drove his knees into the man's shoulders. He jumped off the guard and grabbed on to a higher platform's edge and flipped onto it, kicking a guard in the face and making him fall off. He landed on his butt and looked around, seeing other guards climbing the pillar holding the platform. He slid across the platform and kicked a man in the face just as he reached the top. The figure rolled back onto his hands and kicked his legs back, connecting with a guard just as he was about to shove a kunai into the figure.

It suddenly became quiet.

Suddenly, about thirty guards appeared and surrounded the figure. He looked around and was suddenly dog-piled by the guards. They punched and kicked the figure, thinking that they had finally won. Unfortunately, this only angered the figure.

The figure stood on an adjacent platform and eyed the group who were still unaware that he had replaced himself with one of the guards. He eyed the group intently before snapping his fingers with a brief smile. He made hand signs before putting both hands to the side of his mouth as if he was shouting.

A small fireball shot out from his mouth and headed for the group of guards. The guards turned their heads and their eyes widened. They separated and smirked as the fireball passed by them harmlessly. The figure only smirked as the fireball hit the platform and erupted into a firestorm, catching all the guards in its wake. The figure hid behind a pillar until it died down and stepped out. He surveyed the area and saw that no more guards were coming so he climbed the nearest stairs and jumped onto the second floor. He looked around and saw a guard standing on top of the highest pile of boxes while the others were scattered around the room. Standing ten feet in front of the figure, a giant of a man smirked as he eyed the figure.

"We've been waiting for you." The man said and the figure narrowed his eyes. The giant stood six feet tall and wore a green shirt and black pants. His hair was brown and his onyx eyes showed confidence.

"I get first dibs." The other guards nodded as the giant ran at the figure. The figure jumped and tried to punch the giant but the giant grabbed his fist and tossed him into the nearest box, sending him through it. The figure recovered quickly and jumped on the giant's back. The giant fell on his back and the figure yelled out in pain at the man's weight on him. He squirmed out from under the man and ran to a wall. He ran up it, and, just as the giant man was over him, he turned, pushed himself off the wall and kicked him in the face.

It didn't effect the man much as he kicked the figure in the stomach as soon as the figure landed. The figure hit the wall but before he could slide down, the giant grabbed his neck and tossed him to the group of guards. He went through a box but burst out of it as he zoomed back to the giant and kneed him in the face. The giant took a step back, giving the figure time to jump down the stairs. However, he was caught by the giant and tossed in the air. The giant jumped and punched him in the gut. The figure crashed into the wall and created cracks around himself. He started to slide down and the giant drove his shoulder into his chest.

"GAH!" He yelled as he was then grabbed and sent flying by a cruel elbow to the chest. The figure slid to a stop just as he reached a smiling guard with red hair.

"Need help?" The man asked, but, before the figure could answer, a bō staff with a sharp end appeared in the figure's hands. The figure jumped to his feet, twirled the bō staff around his body and ran at the giant. The giant just smiled but wasn't expecting the figure to disappear. He then received a harsh hit to the back of his head and fell to his knees. The figure landed in front of him, hit him a few more times in the face and then shoved the entire bō staff through the man's head and then removed it.

The other guards watched in shock before throwing kunai at the figure. A cloak of red chakra appeared, surrounding the figure, and the figure disappeared in a blink of an eye. He appeared in the middle of five guards and used the sharp end of the bō staff to cut the throats of each guard before they could stop him. He avoided a kunai thrown at him by the guard on the highest box pile and appeared over three more guards.

He kicked one in the face while he struck the second guard with the pointy end of the bō staff. It went through his chest while the third guard kicked the figure in the back. However, the chakra cloak burned the man's foot and effectively nullified the kick. The figure turned and punched the last guard with all his might. Dodging another kunai, the figure harshly removed the bō staff from the dead guard and threw it at the last guard. It went through his neck and he fell. Dead.

"Look out behind you." The red haired guard said and the figure turned to see a woman running up to him. Aside from the giant of a man, all the guards and bandits wore black pants with either a white shirt or no shirt but the woman running towards him... the figure could see this one was different. She seemed more skilled than the others.

The figure met the woman in the middle and threw a punch but the woman turned her head to the side and kicked the figure's feet from under him. He rolled, jumped to his feet and sent both his legs towards towards the woman while keeping himself up with his arms. The guard jumped over his feet and when she landed, the figure was already on his feet.

"Who are you?" The guard asked but the figure never spoke. "My name is Neko." Neko said but the figure yet again denied him a response. Instead, the figure just ran at her and threw a second punch but Neko deflected it with ease and kicked him in the stomach, sending her sliding back as her long blue hair flowed freely behind her. Her gold eyes stared at the figure's eyes and the figure's eyes widened as seeing her slit pupil. The figure stopped and fell to a fighting stance as Neko smiled cutely at him.

"Kitsune." Neko blinked at the figure's sudden spoken word. "You can call me Kitsune." Kitsune said and Neko smiled like a Cheshire cat. Kitsune noticed that she was around his age but she was more developed than girls her age. He was glad he wore a mask that covered the bottom half of his face, otherwise, he wouldn't want her questioning the sudden pink tint in his cheeks or exclaiming about him being a perv.

Over the mature body was a dark blue jacket with a black shirt under it. Her black pants seemed to be two sizes to large but she kept it up with a dark blue obi. She was bare footed with long, claw-like nails on her hands and feet. Kitsune had to admit though, the girl was pretty cute.

The red haired guard disappeared sometime after she attacked him and Kitsune had to growl.

"What's wrong cutie? Looking for someone?" She asked with a smile and again, Naruto found himself fond of the mask over his face. "I'm your opponent now." She said as he dropped to her hands, looking like an animal on all fours.

_'Who the hell is she? This is not part of the plan.'_ A silhouette thought as his chakra flowed around the warehouse.

Neko tensed her muscles as she watched Kitsune dash towards her at incredible speeds. In a quick progression, Kitsune sent a punch to Neko and then turned and extended his leg out to kick her head. She blocked the first strike before ducking and jumping over a third kick to her legs. Kitsune had his back turned to her and kicked his leg back to hit her stomach. She caught it with ease and lifted her leg up, hoping to knock his balance off. He only used her hand as leverage to flip to his feet and smoothly turn to punch her.

However, Neko was quicker as she sent a backhand to Kitsune face, sending him tumbling into a couple of boxes. He looked up and rolled to the side just as Neko appeared over him and about to send a strong foot to the chest. He jumped to his feet and ran a Neko only for them to grapple each other and fight for dominance. Being the stronger of the two, Kitsune was able to lift Neko off her feet. Neko was well aware of what he was about to do so she spun her body and slapped his arms away.

She landed on her hands and feet and looked up in time to dodge a kick from Kitsune. She got up to her feet and swiftly dodged a punch from Kitsune. Kitsune followed it up with a left fist to the face but Neko was able to dodge that one as well. He sent a kicked to her body but she back-flipped away from him. He ran up to her but was stopped by a kick to the sternum. She thrust a palm to his face but he parried it off with his left forearm and sent his own palm to her face. She ducked and back-flipped away but not before having kicked him in the chin.

Kitsune was sent in the air as he tried to recover from the vicious kick. He managed to flip his body and land on his feet. His azure eyes scanned Neko as she ran at him and at the last minute, he dodged her leg sweep with a jump and managed to land a foot to her chest. The kick knocked all of the oxygen from her lungs while sending her through two boxes.

With quick hand signs, Kitsune placed a hand on his hands to the side of his mouth as if he was shouting.

"**Fire Style: Searing Pain!**" Kitsune shouted as a fireball escaped his mouth and headed for the down Neko. Suddenly, a wall of earth appeared and protected the down girl. Kitsune sneered as he ran and leapt over the wall with the grace of a fox. He landed behind the wall but was not expecting a another wall to appear in front of him. To more appeared from the side, boxing him in. At the sound of a cat's meow, he looked up and saw Neko smiling at him. Without further warning, she spat out a stream of fire and completely enveloped Kitsune.

She landed on top of the earth wall and stared at the fire pit with passive eyes before they lit up at the sight movement and heard a loud growl from the fire. A smile graced her lips as the fire was suddenly rising from the pit and reached the sky. A second growl was heard and Neko was sent flying through the warehouse.

Kitsune climbed the earth wall and glared at Neko as she hit the wall. She slid down the wall and sat unmoving. He cursed under her breath as his singed mask fell off his face. He yelled out in anger as he ripped out the rest of his mask and his shirt. They were holding him back anyway.

He walked up to her and picked her up by the collar of her jacket. Her golden eyes popped open and she smiled as she grabbed onto Kitsune's arms and drove both feet into his chest, making him fall on his back. She landed on her feet and fell into a fighting stance as Naruto rolled back and jumped to his feet.

"You're a lot of fun..." She eyed him with lustful eyes and smile. "And well built. Now show me what the container of the Kyūbi can do." She said and Kitsune's eye narrowed. She saw the expression in his eyes and scoffed. "Don't give me that bull; I know exactly who you are Naruto." Naruto's eyes widened.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked and Neko giggled.

"I told you, my name is Neko." Her features suddenly became more feral; her animalistic eyes became more defined as her canine teeth and nails grew. Her ears suddenly disappeared under her long blue hair and a pair of blue cat ears popped out of the top of her head. Naruto's eyes were close to popping out of his head as a tail suddenly formed from behind Neko. Blue chakra surrounded the girl like Naruto's chakra cloak. It was as potent as his but Naruto felt a chill run down his spine.

"Show me." She purred as she was suddenly behind Naruto. Naruto blinked as he felt Neko's breath on his neck.

_'I didn't even notice her move.'_ Naruto thought as he activated his Fox-eyes. Everything became clearer and he turned to elbow Neko in the face but was surprised when he saw that he was too slow to touch her. She seemed to be in a different league and Naruto doubted he could touch her while in that form.

She punched him in the face and sent him crashing through the warehouse and into a tree. He groaned as he opened his eyes and saw Neko walking over to him, her hips swaying seductively. She had a mischievous smile on her face as Naruto picked himself up with the help of the tree. The night air felt cold as it passed over his sweat.

"Show me now." She said as she ran and thrust a palm forward. Naruto ducked, causing Neko's palm to go through the tree. Naruto jumped away from her; she let him dodge that one and he knew it.

"You know I let you get away with that one." She stated with a knowing smile and Naruto cursed. "Show me what your beast can do."

Sprinting, Naruto came face to face with Neko but before he could punch her, she sent a smart knee to his gut. He doubled over and took a step back. He looked up and jumped over Neko as she tried to drive her shoulder into his chest. However, he wasn't expecting Neko to jump as well and punch his chin with an uppercut. He fell to the ground with a harsh thud and slowly got up. He made hand signs.

"**Fire Style: Running Fire!**" He shouted as he pat outa stream of fire and surrounded Neko. Making more hand signs, he sucked in a deep breath. "**Wind Style: Divine Wind!**" Small tornadoes appeared from Naruto's mouth and headed for Neko. The tornadoes sucked up the fire and became tornadoes of flames as they engulfed Neko. She jumped out of the flames without a scratch on her and surprised Naruto with a knee to the face.

Naruto stood with a growled as his canine teeth grew and his whisker marks became more defined. His red irises darkened but his pupil remained circular. Red chakra surrounded him, giving him ears on the top of his head and a tail.

"That's better." Neko said. She blinked when he disappeared before feeling a hard fist connecting with her left cheek. She then felt an elbow to the back of her head, a knee to her stomach and a kicked to her back. She skid to a stop and giggled; she hadn't had so much fun in years. Naruto disappeared and slammed the bottom of his foot on Neko's back, sending her crashing into the ground. She tried to stand but Naruto forced her down with his foot. He took a step back but she still refused to go down. Clasping his hands together, he brought it down and sent her further into the ground. He jumped back, not surprised that she stood up from the hit. He stared at her with impassive eyes and she couldn't help but smile charmingly.

"You're gunna make me blush if you keep staring at me like that." She said coyly as she wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with her tongue. Naruto fought down a blush as Neko slowly walked towards him while her more animalistic characteristics began to vanish as if it was a mirage. As she walked, Neko was very captivating. Her golden eyes shined as they stared intently at him. Her hair seemed like ice shining brightly from under the moon's light.

Her jacket was long gone and her black short was ragged with some holes on it. In fact, the bottom half of her shirt was burned and ripped off during the battle. Along with the shirt, her pants were completely destroyed and some blood traveled down his nose. He wiped it off with his left arm. Her creamy, long legs looked really soft.

"Like the show?" She asked with a perverted smile and Naruto growled. She then became serious. "There are more like me... others just like us." She said and Naruto eyed her cautiously as she stopped just a foot away from him.

"What do you mean 'us'?" Naruto asked.

"Don't trust the Hunters. Any of them." She said before cutely smiling and brushed her hand softly across his left cheek. "You're going to need my help in the future; don't forget me." Was the last thing she said before she ran into the forest. Naruto stood in the middle of the silent night before he heard clapping.

"Good job, Naruto. Seven years of training and the results aren't disappointing." A red haired man said and Naruto sighed as his cloak disappeared. There was no doubt the red haired man heard what . He smiled as he felt his sweat drip from his head. He brushed his silver hair with his right hand and chuckled.

"Thanks Roshi-sensei."

"Your taijutsu is at least mid-Chūnin." Roshi stated and Naruto frowned.

"Mid-Chūnin?" He whined.

"You did get hit by a bunch of henchmen." Roshi observed and Naruto pouted. "You have incredible stamina and chakra, and you managed to pull off that jutsu without a sweat." Naruto smiled and Roshi walked up to him, placing a fatherly hand on his shoulder.

"If it were up to me, I'd promote you to Chūnin now." He said, making Naruto smile brightly. "However, you know we can't do that. Well, we shouldn't." He said and his smile left him. Naruto put his hand on his stomach and Roshi nodded. "When you take the graduation test tomorrow, don't go overboard. That way, no one will say anything." Naruto nodded and Roshi patted his back. "Make us proud, kid."

"Whoa wait!" Roshi blinked. He started walking, heading for home but Naruto stopped him. "What about the mission?" Naruto asked and Roshi flashed the briefest of smiles.

"This was the mission. Take out the bandits and kill the big, bad boss." Naruto raised an eyebrow. "While you handled the small fries, I sneaked into the big man's room and finished the job." Naruto growled.

"Bastard." Roshi smirked as he began to walk away.

"When was the last time you dyed you hair?" Naruto blinked as Roshi's voice echoed from the forest. "Your blond hair is starting to show. You might wanna take care of that, brat." Naruto looked around and saw a lake twenty feet from him. He ran over and from the light coming from the moon above him, Naruto saw that he had blond roots.

"What the-?" Naruto didn't know why he had blond roots; he always thought he had silver hair. He stood and walked to the Tsuchikage's tower with a purpose; he didn't know why he had blond roots...

But he knew someone who would.

Watching him leave, a silhouette cursed under his breath as he felt someone appear behind him.

"Well, I'm guessing that girl wasn't part of the genjutsu." Roshi guessed.

"No, she wasn't." Ōnoki answered as he stepped into the moonlight. "Still, he did pretty well." He added and Roshi nodded.

"No doubt. Still, what do you think she meant?" He asked and Ōnoki sighed.

"Let's worry about that later. For now," Ōnoki punched Roshi's left arm but inadvertently caused his back to pop.

"Ow, my back!" He whined and Roshi rubbed his left arm.

"Old fool, what was that for?" After composing himself, Ōnoki glared at Roshi.

"He isn't supposed to know about his blond hair, that's why!" Roshi said nothing as he headed for home. Ōnoki disappeared as his body seemed composed of dust being blown away by the wind.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Naruto walked down the Tsuchikage's Tower hallway. His mind was unwavering and his purpose steeled. He burst through the double doors and watched as Ōnoki jumped from his desk and looked around, clearly confused.

"Old man, we need to talk." Naruto said seriously as he sat down on the chair in front of Ōnoki's chair.

"Ah, Naruto, you've returned. How did the training go?" He asked, oblivious that Naruto was atypically serious.

"Great; took out about sixty men." Ōnoki smiled. "Don't get too excited; most of them probably dropped out when they were Genin." Ōnoki shook his head with a smile. He wasn't sure why he hadn't mentioned the Neko girl but he couldn't ask him about it or else he'd sound suspicious.

"Still, sixty? That's quite the feat." Naruto scoffed with a smirk of his own before his solemn demeanor returned.

"Old man," Naruto started as he stood and bent forward. "The hell's the deal with this?" Ōnoki eyed his head and they immediately went to the blond portion of his hair and his eyes widened.

"Interesting." Ōnoki stated before leaning back on his chair. "Naruto, when was the last time you shampooed?" Naruto straightened his back and raised an eyebrow.

"Uhm... what?"

"When was the last time you shampooed?" Ōnoki asked again and when he saw Naruto open his mouth with the same confused expression, he sighed. "Just answer the damn question, boy."

"A month, maybe two." Ōnoki held his head as he sighed. "Why should that matter though?" Naruto asked.

"There is a reason why you have blond roots; because your natural hair color is yellow." Ōnoki said and Naruto's eyes narrowed. "That 'shampoo' I gave you was to help keep your hair silver."

"What?" He asked in a low voice. "You showed me a picture of my parents, none of them were blond." He said.

"It's probably somewhere in your family tree." Ōnoki said which was not really a lie. "Either way, I decided to dye your hair silver." He said and Naruto sat down in the chair behind him.

"Why?"

"Have you seen anyone in Iwa with blond hair?" Naruto shook his head. "Do you know who does have blond hair?" Ōnoki let Naruto process the information and try to answer the question. Finally, Naruto got it and looked away while mumbling something under his breath and crossing his arms over his chest.

"What?" Ōnoki asked as he placed his hands behind his ear. "Speak up."

"The Yondaime."

"Exactly, and I didn't think you'd want to look like him." Naruto said nothing but he lost his angry look. Instead, he had a hurt look.

"I don't like that I've been lied to for most of my life." Naruto turned his azure eyes to Ōnoki and Ōnoki flinched. "Even if its something small like this."

"Understandable." Ōnoki said and Naruto stood. He was about to walk out of the room but stopped before walking out of the threshold.

"Is there... anything else I should know?" He asked and Ōnoki looked straight into his eyes.

"No." He answered and Naruto nodded before walking out of the room. With his head hung low, Naruto closed the door and just stood there for a second.

"I guess I know who I can trust." He commented to himself before walking out of the tower.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Naruto walked down the street with his hands in his pockets. Two days have passed since the mission given to him and Roshi by Ōnoki and the same day he met an interesting girl. Now, today, he passed his graduation test.

Just as he thought, some of the teachers were hoping for his failure. So he took the advice of Roshi and did just enough to pass but not seem like he's hanging by a thread. With his forehead protector tied to his forehead, Naruto continued to walk down the street with pride.

However, there was no smile on his face and no skip to his step. There was something weighing his happiness down.

Under different circumstances, Naruto would be jumping around the entire village, proclaiming his advancement to Genin to any and everybody in sight. Hell, he'd probably invite some friends to ramen. He would be that happy...

Still, Naruto wasn't in the mood to celebrate. He knew why but he had yet to swallow it the idea. He couldn't accept the idea, the words alone would break his spirit down. Yet, he knew. Deep down, somewhere in his mind, he knew cold hard truth.

He couldn't trust the old man. He couldn't trust Kurotsuchi because of her connection to the old man.

He couldn't trust Iwagakure...

At least, not completely.

He knew he could trust Roshi and Han. Han more than Roshi.

They knew his pain, the loneliness every jinchūriki felt deep in their heart. They could never connect to people the way normal people can. However, it didn't matter how many people Naruto convinced to be his friends, he was glad to at least have Roshi and Han.

He cared about the quality, not the quantity.

He watched as the sun began to set, painting half of the sky with red-ish pink and orange while the other side contained a sea of dark indigo. The stars have yet to reveal themselves but the moon was out and about.

"Hey, Naruto-kun." Naruto stopped and turned to see Kurotsuchi running up to him. She decided to keep her black hair short, which didn't look bad on her. She wore what Naruto guessed was a long, red kimono with the sleeve on her right arm missing as well as the bottom left side of the kimono, fishnet tights and shorts over them. Her pink cheeks were almost as pink as her eyes.

Naruto had known of her crush for a while now. In fact, looking back on it now, he had to guess that it started around the same time he began his intense training. He had seen very little of her since he started the training but she was still his friend so when he got the time, he'd hand out with her.

Still, he wished she would stop running after him and stop to smell the roses or at least notice the quiet boy who would stare at her in class.

"Hey Kurotsuchi." Naruto greeted with a forced smile. Whether or not she noticed how fake it was, she didn't show it and continued to smile happily.

"Aren't you happy? We're Genin now." She asked and Naruto nodded with a chuckle.

"At least we won't have to listen to Sosuke-sensei talk about boring stuff." Kurotsuchi laughed.

"True... so, uhm..." Her blush darkened and Naruto smiled as he put his arm around her and started walking. She was surprised by his sudden action and walked beside him.

"Spit it out." Naruto said.

"Who's team do you think you'll be in?" She asked and Naruto hummed, looking thoughtful as if he was truly giving it some thought. He found that piece of information trivial at the moment but thinking about it...

Oh hell, he still didn't care.

"Hopefully with someone I'm close with." Naruto turned to look at Kurotsuchi. "What about you?"

"With you." Naruto knew she was going to say that. "N-Not because I like you or anything, I just don't want to paired with some weaklings." She answered with a blush.

_'Smooth.'_ Naruto thought sarcastically.

_'Smooth.'_ Kurotsuchi thought. She had to smile at her skill and tact.

"I guess we'll see tomorrow. Though, knowing that old fool, he'll probably put us on the same team and then cry out from his back pain." Kurotsuchi laughed and Naruto couldn't help but laugh with her. After walking in silence for a couple of blocks, and a couple of awkward glances, Kurotsuchi bumped her shoulder against Naruto's.

"What's wrong?" She asked and Naruto forced another smile.

"What do you mean?" He saw that he wasn't fooling her and put his smile away. "You're... what's the word..."

"Awesome?" She joked and Naruto shook his head.

"I think troublesome is better. You're troublesome. Heh, wonder if anyone else says that."

***.***

Off in a different village, a boy sneezed and wiped his nose with the sleeve of his shirt.

"That's disgusting!" A woman yelled and the young boy sighed. "Shikamaru!"

"Troublesome." The boy muttered.

***.***

Kurotsuchi stared at Naruto, a little hurt.

"Anyway, it's nothing you should worry about." Naruto said and looked at her. "Honestly, I'm fine, I just got a lot of things going on in my head." Naruto assured her. She opened her mouth but no word escaped as she saw someone walking towards them.

"I guess I'll see you later then." She said before entering a random shop, just so it looked like she had to go in there. Unknown to her at that time, she walked into a lingerie store. Naruto laughed and it became louder when he heard her yell.

"Naruto." A rough voice said and Naruto smiled.

"Han-nii, what's up?" Naruto asked as he stood in front of the mountainous man. Han was a very paranoid man, up to the point that he reminded Naruto of a tank with feet. He was heavily armored, wearing what he called 'steam armor' with a furnace on the back that would emit steam when he used it. He had brown eyes and his armor extended all the way to the bottom half of his face, covering it up. Aside from his red armor, he also wore a red conical straw hat that seemed to be composed of the same material of his armor. Over his armor, Han had a black gi, with the sleeves seemingly torn off and black gloves.

"I heard you graduated today. Congratulations." He said and Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and smirked.

"I know you can do better that that, Han-nii." Han's brown eyes soften as he knelt in front Naruto and placed a hand on Naruto's should.

"I'm proud of you, Naruto." Naruto smiled.

"Thanks." Ever since his training finished, Naruto felt like he was a man. When he graduated and became an official shinobi for Iwa, this feeling got stronger. He felt like a man who could do no wrong, who did everything the right way the first time. He didn't care if he had to live on his own, he knew he could do it and be successful in doing so.

Still, whenever he was around Han, that feeling flew out the window and was replaced with the feeling of a young boy blindly following his older brother around. He didn't hate it but it did make him wonder if it made him a bit dependent of Han.

He shook his head; he had a lot to think of as it was. He didn't need any more thoughts running through his mind.

"Naruto?" Naruto blinked as he saw Han standing over him with a questioning gaze.

_'Man, I zoned out for a good while.'_ "Huh?"

"I asked if you'd like me to treat you to ramen?" Han repeated and after thinking it over, Naruto shook his head.

"Thanks but maybe later. I need to go to my thinking spot." Naruto said and after waving goodbye to Han, he continued to walk around the village. He stopped at the edge of the village where the village ended and the mountains began. He used his chakra to stick to the wall and he began his trek up the mountain.

When he finally reached the top, he sat down at the tip of the mountain. He remembered when he had problems climbing the damnable mountain with his chakra. From top to bottom. He hated doing it but in the end, it proved to be useful and he was sort of glad he spent half a year doing it.

He sighed contently as he watched the sun shine its final rays before going over the horizon and completely welcoming night into the village. He always loved climbing the mountain and just watching the sun set. It was his favorite place to just sit and do nothing or just to think.

A sudden flashback hit Naruto and he remembered seeing the look Onoki's eyes had when Naruto asked him if there was anything else he should know. Naruto wasn't the smartest person in Iwa but he knew how to read body language and tell when he's being lied to. It was all in the eyes.

"What aren't you telling me, old man?" Naruto asked no one. The wind whistled as the night air coolly blew over the entire village.

Unknown to Naruto, a certain blond haired man was also sitting on top of a mountain, staring over his village as it slept.

"Minato-kun." Minato slowly turned his head and say his wife hesitantly walking towards him. She wrapped him in a hug and held him tightly. Thirteen years later and it still affects them.

"I know." He said as he felt his wife shake under his hold. "Next month will be fourteen years."

"What do you think he's doing?" Kushina asked and Minato couldn't stop the smile from reaching his lips.

"Probably eating ramen." Minato said and heard Kushina giggle. He didn't believe his son was dead, if he was, the Kyūbi would've escaped and along side his child's death. He'd have to worry about the Kyūbi running around. His kid was out there, somewhere in the world and one day, he'd find him and bring him home. After standing there a while longer, Minato and Kushina headed home.

* * *

**Hope ya liked it...**

**Sorry for the major time skip but honestly, i had nothing for that and to me, it seems trivial to even type out those small details...**

**You'll find out more about it when they talk about the past or something...**

***.*.*.***

**Pairings:**

**No, no, no...**

**I know what pairing this story is gunna have.. Thank you for telling me what you want but please, let's not start this...**

**The pairing is gunna come soon.. So if you are reading this now and find out the pairing later, i don't want to hear complaints about this shit...**

**Don't be a baby, chances are half th people reading are not gunna like the pair I choose... Suck it up and move on...**

***.*.*.***

**If you got any questions, let me know. I'll be happy to answer any questions and clear any misunderstandings...**

**Till next chapter!**

**Next Chapter: Mission: Border Patrol...**

**More exciting than it sounds...**

******Good luck with whatever and if you got a problem with me or one of my stories, please feel free to: Deal with it, Get over it or Choke on it...**

******P.s: Title might change..**


	3. Chains of Fate

**Yo...**

**Hope you enjoy the chapter, though half of you probably arent...**

**In this chapter, chances are, you're going to find out what the pairing is...**

**Whether or not you do, well, i don't really care... Just keep it a secret for now...**

**By the way, this story is going to be a collaboration between myself and Hinatasgreatestfan who is my newest BETA, friend, and part-time smartass but then again, what good friends aren't right? You agree with me, don'tcha Zentary ^^**

**Either way, I'm glad to have his cooperation and you should probably read his stories, they're actually better than the stuff I write... **

**Eh, what can I say? some people have it, I just don't...**

**Still, I keep getting told my stories aren't half bad so I'll take their words on it...**

**On to the chapter...**

**_"The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people."  
_****— Theodore Roosevelt**

**Chapter 3: Chains of Fate**

**Enjoy the chapter... I don't own anything...**

****Quick reminder: Naruto is 14 and everyone else is 13...**

* * *

Minato stared intently at the papers in his hands. The mission was simple; there's been some suspicious activity near the Land of Fire's borders. It was nothing special, go there, check out what's going on and report back. He put down the mission scroll and grabbed the file that contained available teams. There weren't that many and he needed a team specifically designed for tracking. Two teams fit that description perfectly.

Making a decision, Minato closed the file and rolled up the mission scroll before pocketing it and leaving his office. Upon hearing the Hokage's door open, his secretary looked back and a blush automatically appeared on her tan cheeks. She shyly brushed aside a stray black hair and her brown eyes shifted to the scroll in Minato's hand.

"Y-Yondaime-sama, are you going to assign someone that mission?" His secretary asked and Minato put on a smile and nodded his head. "Here, let me call someone to deliver it and-"

"No," She was about to pick up her phone but was stopped by Minato's sudden proclamation. "It's fine; I need a break from the office." He said and waved to her as he left. He sighed and shook his head when he had his back turned to her. Fourteen years of marriage and the fangirls were still everywhere. Stepping into the sunlight, Minato couldn't help but smile as he noticed how peaceful his village was. Even with the 'death' of his son, he had somehow managed to successfully lead his village into prosperity and peace within the Five Great Nations. Sure, they weren't really allied with the other four nations but they weren't at war either.

He smiled and waved at the villagers he passed by, occasionally making small talk with the shinobi he ran into. He knew where he was going; the team he was looking for would always train at the same training ground. After walking for about ten minutes, he walked into the borders of training ground twelve. He was about to call for the team's sensei when he saw the three Genin working together in a spar against her.

Their sensei had black, shoulder-length untamed hair, and very unique eyes that were red in color, with an additional ring in them. She wore make-up consisting of red lipstick and purple eye shadow. Her regular outfit consisted of a red mesh armor blouse with only the right sleeve visible. Over this was very broad material which resembled bandages with a pattern on it similar to those of rose thorns. Her hands and upper thighs were also wrapped in bandages and had the Konoha forehead protector and regular shinobi sandals.

Their sensei, one Kurenai Yūhi, swiftly dodged a drill while also avoiding being captured by the Aburame clan's kikaichū bugs. The drill that she so easily avoided stopped in midair and Minato could see a boy growling. His attire consisted of dark grayish pants reaching to his calves and a gray, hooded fur-lined coat, with the hood usually placed on his head, over an apparent plate of armor and fishnet undershirt with a blue forehead protector and blue sandals.

Another boy appeared from a column of bugs. He had bushy dark brown hair, pale skin, and was the taller of the two boys. He was sporting the same style as the rest of his clan, consisting of dark sunglasses and a sea-green jacket with a high, upturned collar. A wave of insects appeared and with a simple motion from the taller boy, the insects rushed towards Kurenai.

Minato noticed that both boys were leading their sensei to the edge of the training grounds where he saw, from his angle, a young girl hiding behind a tree. The girl had dark blue hair and fair skin; traits Minato knew she inherited from her mother, and lavender eyes. Her hair was a hime-cut style, with chin-length strands framing her face. She wore a cream colored hooded-jacket with a fire symbol on the upper right and left sleeves and fur around the cuffs and hem, with navy blue pants.

He smiled softly at seeing Hinata again. He'd been there for Hiashi when she was born. He was freaking out and Minato had to laugh at his usually stoic friend's expression. She was such a beautiful baby, just like...

Minato looked away, down to his feet as a mental image of a newborn Naruto in his beautiful wife's arms entered his mind. He shook his head and looked back up just in time to see Hinata jump out of her hiding spot and try to hit her sensei with a chakra powered palm. Minato couldn't hold back a chuckle as he watched Kurenai back flip over Hinata whose eyes widened at her sensei's limberness and agility. Kurenai landed with the grace of a veteran ballet dancer and extended her left leg as she knelt down and spun in place, making Hinata fall to her left side. Minato was amazed but not surprised when Hinata immediately rolled away from her sensei, used the momentum to raise her self up with her hands and flip away.

She landed beside her two teammates, her breathing a bit labored. Minato was surprised when Hinata turned her head in his direction, but his surprise was wiped away when he noticed that Hinata still had her Byakugan active.

"Someone's here." Kiba stated as he took another whiff of the air, along with his furry companion who barked in agreement. Hinata bowed her head as Minato walked toward team 8 whilst clapping his hands.

"That was a very inspiring display. You have an extraordinary team here, Kurenai." Minato complimented, causing Kurenai to smile pridefully. Her team also smiled but Hinata blushed as well, enjoying Minato's kind words. "It makes me more assured about Konoha's future and the continuation of the Will of Fire. It also makes me confident I won't have to worry about you four while you're out on your mission." Team 8, Kurenai included, blinked in surprise and confusion.

"Mission?" Kiba asked and Minato nodded. He tossed Kurenai the mission scroll. Kurenai caught it and unrolled it. After reading it, she looked at her leader with questioning red eyes.

"Question?" He asked with humor in his voice, his smile widening and his eyes crinkling at seeing her reaction.

"Are you sure you want us to do this mission, Hokage-sama?" Kurenai asked and Minato raised an eyebrow in wonderment, though his smile never wavered.

"Are you doubting your team's abilities, Kurenai?" Minato teased and Kurenai shook her head. She was about to say something but Minato beat her to it. "Very well then."

"Not that I mind getting another mission, but what are you doing here?" Kiba asked and Kurenai leveled him with a light glare. Kiba's eyes shifted to the ground under him and Minato laughed as he focused his gaze on the scolded boy.

"I needed to get out of that cramped office so I came to personally deliver your mission to you." Minato turned his gaze back on Kurenai. "Unless, your sensei doesn't think you're capable enough to complete the mission." Team 8 looked at their sensei with an inquiring expression and Kurenai sweat dropped.

"It's not that I'm doubtful, just curious as to why us," she answered and Minato shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"For the past two months, your team has been completing D-rank missions without complaint. Think of this as a reward for making my life as a Hokage that much less troublesome." He laughed and watched as his laughter caused everyone to adopt a smile on their face.

"Well, I should probably head back, I think I've procrastinated enough as it is." He waved to team 8 as he left. Kurenai and Hinata bowed while Kiba was talking animatedly to Shino, who seemed as passive as ever. "Ah, to be young," he muttered as he headed back to work. When he left, Kurenai turned to her team and smiled.

"All right team, this is a fairly simple mission. We're going to go to the Land of Fire's borders and investigate some suspicious activities. If we can handle the threat, we are allowed to confront the target and eliminate it. If it proves to be too much, we call for back up and run. No if's, and's or but's. Is that understood?" Team 8 nodded their heads and Kurenai sighed. "You are to go home and prepare for this mission. It will take at least a day to go there, two days to search the area and then another day to return. Pack accordingly. Dismissed."

"Hai!" Team 8 shouted before turning and heading for their respective homes. Kurenai saw Kiba talking to both his teammates with so much life, waving his arms around and smiling like a child at a toy store. Hinata giggled and even though Shino didn't show it, Kurenai knew he was enjoying the companionship with his teammates. After watching them disappear from her line of sight, Kurenai headed for her home.

**[*****.*.*.*****]**

Naruto ducked as he jumped back and stared passively at his sparring partner. He sighed, his mind occupied by his memories of the last two months. He was assigned to his team and was teamed with Kurotsuchi, Daichi and his sensei.

He was somewhat surprised that Kurotsuchi was on his team, though he should've known better. Damn that old man...

Kurotsuchi sat on the side of the training field, watching him and Daichi spar vigorously. She seemed so focused on him that Naruto felt a bit anxious. Why exactly was she staring at him like he was freaking Kami?

Girls were weird...

"Pay attention." Came the voice of Naruto's sparring partner. Naruto barely avoided a kick headed for his head but wasn't prepared for Daichi to spin and then send a kick to the chest. Naruto rolled and used the momentum from the kick to jump to his feet, just in time to see Daichi heading towards him. Taking out a kunai from his pouch, Naruto met Daichi in the middle and parried off the kunai Daichi took out earlier.

Staring into his gray eyes, Naruto smiled as he easily pushed Daichi back and slammed his knee into Daichi's chin. Naruto waited passively as Daichi tried to catch his second wind. The boy Naruto stood over was easily a foot taller than him. He had short brown hair and wore a long sleeved shirt that covered his hands, along with dark red pants and black shinobi shoes.

Naruto took a sharp jump to the left as Daichi shifted his right arm and threw a kunai at Naruto. Having easily dodged Daichi's kunai, Naruto took out more kunai and tossed them at his fallen comrade/sparring partner. Daichi jumped to his feet and leapt back, away from the kunai's destination. He held back a gasp when he saw Naruto appear behind him with a kunai positioned at the small of his back.

"Nice move." Daichi said as he stared back at Naruto with a smirk. Naruto responded with a smirk of his own and pushed Daichi forward.

"Not bad Naruto, hm." Naruto turned to his sensei. Even though Ōnoki, Han and Roshi trained him in the last six years, he had also received guidance from his sensei. He looked up to him, being a jonin sensei at such a young age. He was only sixteen. "Your head still seems to be in the clouds but as long as you avoid getting distracted, you'll do fine in future missions, hm."

"Thanks, Deidara-sensei." Deidara smirked at his charges. He was wearing the standard outfit of an Iwagakure shinobi. When Naruto first met Deidara, he was surprised to see that he had blond hair. Naruto touched his own hair; he decided to let it grow out and return to its natural blond color. It was an odd look but Naruto had to get used to it. It was his way of rebelling against the old man. Besides, it wasn't all that bad; it sort of made him look related to his sensei.

Deidara clapped his hands once and his eye crinkled as his smile widened.

"I got a sort of surprise for all of you." His team groaned.

"If it's another clay sculpture of us, no thanks, I have enough at home." Kurotsuchi said as she held her arms up in rejection but Deidara laughed.

"No, it's nothing like that, but you could at least pretend you like my art, hm." Deidara joked and Kurotsuchi shook her head with a soft smile. "The mission is almost over; we'll be heading home soon." Naruto smiled.

"Yes, this boring mission is almost over!" He shouted with glee and Kurotsuchi and Daichi laughed at his energetic cheer.

"All we have to wait for is the Hoshikage's reply and we're done." Deidara continued. "While we wait, practice on your evasion skills, hm." Deidara said as he created a couple of clones and they stood on both sides of him. "Naruto, come with me, I need to speak with you." Naruto nodded as the two Deidara clones ran past him and towards the remaining two charges. Naruto followed Deidara, who led him to the far side of the training ground.

"What is it, Deidara-sensei?" Naruto asked as Deidara faced him with a smile laced in his lips.

"There's a jutsu I want to teach you, hm." He answered bluntly and Naruto smiled at the prospect of learning a new jutsu to add to his arsenal. However, his joy was overcome with his inquisitive nature.

"What about Kurotsuchi and Daichi?" He asked and Deidara looked back at his team as they ran away from his clones.

"They can't handle this kind of jutsu just yet." His light blue eyes shifted back to Naruto, whose eyes never left his sensei. "Their chakra reserves aren't at the level this jutsu requires. You, however, because of your tenant, can probably perform this jutsu without breaking a sweat, hm." Naruto's eyes lit up again.

"Okay, so what is it?" Naruto asked, his energetic need to learn jutsu shining in his cerulean eyes. Deidara motioned Naruto to turn and focus on his two teammates. Naruto turned and saw Kurotsuchi narrowly dodging the clone's kunai while Daichi stared at his clone intently, anticipating its moves.

"Very good!" Deidara shouted, loud enough so his team could hear him. The two clones stopped in their tracks and all four focused their attention on the blond sensei. "I want you two to spar with the clones. No ninjutsu, strictly taijutsu. Begin." Daichi and Kurotsuchi jumped back as the Deidaras ran at them with a kunai in each hand.

"So?" Deidara shifted his eyes to Naruto who was looking at him expectantly. "What's the jutsu?"

"What kind of clones do you think I made?" The question threw Naruto off and he shifted his gaze back to the clones. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Rock Clone?" Deidara's smile widened, his eyes never leaving his charges.

"Just watch, hm." Naruto kept his eyes on Deidara before switching to the clones. His eyes narrowed; their movements and characteristics weren't different from the rock clone. That is, until Daichi managed to land a solid punch on the clone's chin. Naruto's eyes widened when the clone just exploded and left a cloud of smoke behind. Daichi blinked in surprise, having expected the clone to crumble into pieces of rock.

With his eyes in danger of popping out of his head, Naruto could only stare at his sensei who laughed at his expression.

"That is called the Shadow Clone Jutsu." Deidara answered Naruto's unasked question. "A useful jutsu, better than the Rock Clone Jutsu. When the clone expires, its memories and any remaining chakra is sent back to the original." Deidara said as he tapped his temple.

"So why teach it to me?" Naruto asked and Deidara raised an eyebrow.

"Do you not want to learn it, hm?" Naruto shook his head feverishly. "Then let's get started, hm?"

**[*****.*.*.*****]**

Deidara watched as Naruto smirked with confidence as his clones were successfully pushing his teammates to their limits. The boy was a genius, easily learning the jutsu in under two hours and even summoning about twenty on his first successful attempt.

"All right, stop." Deidara called out and the Narutos froze in their place. Daichi and Kurotsuchi let out an inaudible sigh of relief as Daichi promptly fell on his back.

"Oh Kami, thank you for showing mercy!" Naruto chuckled as he dispersed his clones and felt the clone's memories rush into his mind. He flinched, but it was nothing he couldn't handle; he turned his attention back to Deidara.

"Team training is over, good job, hm," Deidara said. "You can do what you like, so long as whatever it is you do doesn't give Iwa a bad name."

"Hai, sensei." His team replied.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go catch up on some sleep and you all should too. We're heading out first thing in the morning." Deidara said as he disappeared and Naruto turned to his teammates.

"I'm hungry, let's get some ramen, dattebayo!" Naruto said and Kurotsuchi groaned while Daichi rolled his eyes. "What?"

"You're always eating ramen, ramen boy." Kurotsuchi answered, a bit irritable. Daichi nodded in agreement.

"Don't you ever get tired of that stuff?" He asked earnestly and Naruto looked flabbergasted.

"How could anyone ever get tired of ramen?" Naruto asked, truly befuddled. "It's only the best food on the planet."

Kurotsuchi groaned. She had come to expect comments like that from her blond teammate. Daichi just rolled his eyes again, but all three were smiling. In spite of their needling and teasing, they enjoyed one another's company immensely and, if asked, all three would claim the other two as friends.

"Oh, all right, let's get something to eat," the girl said, glaring at Naruto before adding, "But NO RAMEN!"

Naruto groaned and rolled his eyes. Daichi chuckled and patted him on the back. "Hey, Naruto, don't forget, you've got your private stash with you, I saw you pack it," he said. Naruto's eyes brightened as he remembered Daichi was right, he did have about two dozen small cups of instant ramen with him. He always packed that when he was going anywhere.

"All right, I guess I can go a meal without ramen, for you guys' sake," he said, giving them his trademark grin.

Kurotsuchi smiled at Naruto, knowing what he was up to, but flattered by his words nonetheless. "Come on, you two," she said. "Let's see what we can find to eat around here."

***.***

Naruto and his team had found a small restaurant on the edge of the village and were enjoying their tea at the moment. Naruto hadn't seen anywhere to get ramen anyway, and this place seemed nice enough, so he was satisfied. Kurotsuchi liked it because it was one of those places that seem to always have lit candles on every table and very little light otherwise; this made for a very private and - in her mind - romantic atmosphere. She blushed lightly at that thought.

Naruto noticed Kurotsuchi blushing and wondered why, but he shook it off. He and Daichi sat on one side of the table they'd been shown to, Kurotsuchi on the other. Naruto found her staring at him again and once again felt a bit anxious because of it. What in the world was she staring at him like that for?

"Kurotsuchi, why are you staring at me?" Naruto, tactless as ever, asked.

She blushed at being caught and tried to say that she wasn't, but all she could manage was a series of unintelligible sounds. Naruto was even more confused than before. Daichi, realizing what was going on, burst out laughing.

Now Naruto was totally lost. First Kurotsuchi was staring at him earlier while he was sparring with Daichi, then she was staring at him here at their table, and now Daichi was laughing uproariously for no apparent reason.

Naruto, frustrated with his confusion, turned and glared at Daichi. "What is so funny?" he asked, annoyed. This only made Daichi laugh all the harder, to the point he was almost falling off his chair. Naruto folded his arms and humphed in irritation.

Kurotsuchi, who was still stammering, finally stopped and began giggling hysterically at the - to her - very cute pout Naruto put on in his frustration. Even knowing it was in large part because of her, she couldn't help laughing herself. It didn't take long for Kurotsuchi and Daichi's laughter to become infectious. Naruto finally lost his pout and began laughing as well, even though he wasn't sure why, really. By the time their food arrived, all three were smiling and talking lightly about their mission and about going home the next day.

**[*****.*.*.*****]**

"This is far enough." Kurenai said as her team stopped behind her. "We'll set up camp and continue in the morning." Team 8 nodded as they set their packs down and began to set up camp. Hinata took out her tent but before she could start to set it up, she felt Kiba's hands go over hers.

"Don't worry about setting up the tent; I'll do it for you." He smiled and Hinata blinked. She shook her head in amusement and released the tent.

"Thank you, Kiba-kun." Kiba's cheeks gained a pink tint to them as he was exposed to Hinata's charming smile. He looked away and Hinata blinked again. "Are you okay?" She asked and Kiba nodded his head and smiled back at her. Seeing him smile was enough for Hinata so she turned her attention to her sensei, who was leaning against a tree, lost in her thoughts.

"Kurenai-sensei?" Kurenai looked at Hinata with a questioning gaze.

"Yes, what is it?" Hinata turned to Kiba and then Shino while they set up the tents.

"Is there something I can do?" She asked with a smile. Kurenai hummed to herself before returning Hinata's smile.

"How about you go find some firewood?" Hinata nodded her head and with a skip to her step, she went deeper into the forest. While she collected the firewood, she hummed a soft song, enjoying nature in all its glory.

Looking skyward, she saw a clear blue sky just starting to turn pink with the evening and a brilliantly shining sun, both enjoying the luxury of being uninterrupted by blemishes. However, Hinata knew there was probably about an hour before the sun would leave and night would take its place as ruler of the sky.

A breeze flew past Hinata and she took the time to just stand there and take in the scent of nature that came along with the breeze. She let out a deep breath and continued to collect firewood with an even wider smile.

Off in the distance, a figure watched Hinata vigilantly with a cynical smile on his face. He slowly sneaked up behind Hinata and was about to cover her mouth with a cloth in his hand when she suddenly turned around and landed a solid palm to the man's stomach. The man's eyes widened before he was engulfed in smoke and replaced with a log. Hinata dropped the firewood in her hands and fell into her battle stance, her Byakugan active and her senses on alert.

She gracefully avoided a kunai aimed for her stomach and took out her own kunai. She deflected another kunai and then another before she faced her attacker as he ran towards her. He thrust his kunai forward but Hinata turned her body at the last second, getting him close enough for her to drive her finger tips into his left arm. She sent chakra through her tips and the man winced as he felt his arm losing some feeling.

He jumped back and held his left arm with his right. He glared at Hinata before shifting his left arm up and started to make hand signs. He sucked in his breath and then released a huge tidal wave. Hinata's eyes widened as she saw the giant wave head for her. It hit her and the man smirked under his mask. The jutsu wouldn't kill her but hopefully it would knock her out. His right eyebrow rose a few inches when the water over her began to expand until all that was left was a spinning dome of water and chakra.

Hinata stopped her technique, facing her attacker with cold lavender eyes. Water droplets surrounded her before she disappeared in a blink of an eye. The man ducked under Hinata's roundhouse kick and jumped back when she spun on her heels and tried to hit him with a double palm to the chest. Suddenly, Hinata found herself surrounded by five men dressed all in black.

She defended against three of the men successfully, causing them to turn into water and fall to the ground. The other two, however, gave her a harder time as they seemed faster than the others. She parried a punch from one clone and then kicked it in the chest but the other managed to grab her right arm and slam her into a nearby tree.

She cried out in pain but retaliated quickly by shoving her elbow back and making it land on the clone's chest. With the chakra running through her elbow, she was able to disrupt the clone and cause it to crumble into the ground before returning to its natural element.

With her Byakugan, she saw the last clone heading for her before jumping into the air. Before it could reach her, however, she spun.

"**Kaiten!**" She shouted and the clone collided with the spinning dome of chakra, dispersing it. She stopped, the water from the clone's death still over her.

"**Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu!**" The man shouted and Hinata's eyes widened when she was trapped in a dome of water. She looked behind her and saw the man smiling arrogantly under his mask.

"I finally have you, Hyūga." The man said. Hinata glared at him while she began to panic and began to feel claustrophobic inside the water prison. She was losing oxygen and it was only a matter of time before she lost consciousness. Before she did, though, she saw the man remove his mask and shivered at seeing his sinister smile.

**[*****.*.*.*****]**

After the three of them ate, they all made their way back to camp. Kurotsuchi crawled into her tent and was asleep within moments. Naruto and Daichi entered their tent as well. The two sat and talked a short time, then Daichi laid down and fell asleep as well. It was about then that Naruto had a sudden surge of claustrophobia. He had no idea what it meant, but he knew he couldn't stay there in the tent any longer. He crawled out of the tent silently and made his way to a nearby clearing to get some training done. He made a handful of clones and began training with them.

As he did, he did feel a little better, but something was still nagging at him. Something wasn't right, he could feel it. He just had no idea what it was.

Shaking off this foreboding feeling, Naruto returned his attention on his training. During his training with his team, he would occasionally be found among his clones and either Kurotsuchi or Daichi would try to attack him. He smiled as he remembered instinctively replacing himself with a clone. He remembered Kurotsuchi cursing her luck and admitting that she thought she had the original.

At the time, Naruto laughed, telling her that she should work on her detection skills. But if he were honest with himself, he'd admit that she would've landed a hit, or close to one, if he hadn't replaced himself with a clone. That's what he's doing now; practicing to replace himself among his clones. Of course, it wasn't that hard to do but he wanted it to be second nature.

After making sure he got the hang of it, he then divided his clones into two groups; one to replace himself with and another to attack him, to simulate an actual battle. After some time, he chuckled tiredly as he fell flat on his back and let his eyes rest for a minute while the sound of the night enter his ears. Compared to the nightlife in Iwa, every living creature was awake out here. Wiping sweat from his brow, Naruto sat up and looked up at the sky. The moon looked beautiful as always and the stars shone dully over the dark sky.

Unknown to him, a pair of eyes were also staring at the moon. Tears flowed down her cheeks as Hinata's lavender eyes blinked away the stray tears. She closed them and whimpered under her gag, more tears escaped their imprisonment as she thought of her previous life being thrown away by her kidnapper. She hoped that Kami would send someone to save her, anyone. She blinked before her eyes became cold. She grew frustrated with herself, hating that fact that she was just crying, feeling sorry for herself, and wishing for someone to save her.

She was a Hyūga, and not just any Hyūga, the Hyūga clan's heiress. She had enough skill to get herself out of this mess and when the opportunity presented itself, she would take advantage of it.

For the moment, Hinata had to be patient.

* * *

**Hope ya liked it...**

**By now, the pairing should be obvious and if you're gunna stop reading, that's fine...**

**As for the rest of you who'll continue reading, I welcome you into the arms of the best pairing [in my opinon]...**

**Hopefully, all the pairing suggestions will stop... Please!**

**As far as that goes, i have no real comment to make...**

**Next Chapter: Actions and Motives [maybe...]**

**Till next time!**

******Good luck with whatever and if you got a problem with me or one of my stories, please feel free to: Deal with it, Get over it or Choke on it...**


	4. Actions and Motives

**Hey, hope you enjoy the chapter...**

**I'm off to play on my new PS3...**

**Peace!**

**Reputation is what other people know about you. Honor is what you know about yourself.  
********`Lois McMaster Bujold**

**Chapter 4: Actions and Motives...**

**I don't own anything...**

**Oh and Hinatasgreatestfan sends his love haha...**

******

* * *

**

Kiba sniffed the air for the thousandth time but still he picked up no scent. He growled, frustrated that Hinata's scent just suddenly vanished. That doesn't happen; it shouldn't have happened now.

So why did it happen?

"Kiba." Kiba turned to his sensei who walked and held herself with control and had a passive expression on her face but Kiba knew better. Kurenai was the only kunoichi Hinata really bonded with and vice-versa. This was affecting Kurenai more than she let on; it was hurting her not knowing where her surrogate daughter was. "We need to head back."

This threw Kiba for a loop.

"What?" he shouted as Shino appeared beside Kurenai.

"We have no leads. We can't find her no matter how hard we try. With all this water, any scent left behind is erased now. We need to return to Konoha and report this in." Kurenai explained but she saw that she wasn't getting through to Kiba. "If you really want to help her, you need to believe me and come back to Konoha with us."

"Kurenai-sensei's logic is sound, Kiba." Shino added, hoping to persuade his friend to think reasonably. Kiba looked away from his remaining teammates, not wanting to admit that they were right.

"It feels like we're abandoning her." Kiba muttered solemnly after he bowed his head. Kurenai felt the same, as did Shino, but they both knew that they were no help to Hinata now. They needed to go back home so they could send experienced tracking nin.

"We feel that, too, but this is the best course of action." Kurenai said and Shino nodded in agreement. Kiba looked at them again before closing his eyes and nodding his head.

"Fine." Kurenai sighed and turned her back to them.

"Let's go." Kurenai said before turning and sprinting away. Shino hesitated to follow right after, taking the time to glance at his comrade. He was looking around, taking last minute sniffs and observations before he had to leave. Akamaru rubbed his head against his owner, trying to get him to go after his sensei. After a defeated sigh, Kiba turned and nodded his head to Shino. He nodded back and they followed after Kurenai, wanting to get to Konoha as soon as possible..

"We'll find you, Hinata-chan, I promise." He murmured under his breath, getting a worried look on Akamaru's face.

**[*.*.*.*]**

"Wake up." A rough voice said and Hinata's eyes sprang open. She couldn't believe she fell asleep.

_'This isn't good. Now I don't know where we are or in which direction we've headed.'_ she thought as she sat up, her arms and legs still tied up. She noticed that her arms and legs were still tied but the gag was removed from her mouth. She stared angrily at her kidnapper as he searched through his pack. Finally, he took out a ration bar and quickly peeled back the wrapper and held the ration bar in front of her mouth. Hinata blinked, staring at the bar in confusion.

"Eat." The man demanded and Hinata looked at him again. She pouted and looked away with a scoff. The man growled. "You're not eating anything else." Hinata turned her cold eyes to the man.

"I don't like to be fed, I can do it myself." Hinata hissed at the man with some pride. "I'm not a child." She added and the man shook his head with some patience.

"Fine." the man threw the ration bar at her lap and got up. He grabbed more rope from his pack and tied it around her waist before tying the other end to a nearby tree only two feet away. "I'm going to give you only one warning tonight; try anything funny and I'll slice your throat open with the nails on my fingers. My clients would prefer a whole Hyūga but they'd accept it if I only bring your eyes if you catch my drift." The man threatened with a devilish gleam in his eyes and Hinata knew, staring into them, that he'd keep his word. She nodded slowly but her expression was still harsh. She didn't want him to know that his threat had shaken her to her core with fear.

He untied her arms and stood back as he watched her grab the ration bar and examine it with a calculating stare. He wondered why her brow furrowed and she mumbled under her breath but then he got the idea when she closed her eyes for a second and opening them again.

"Forget it, those are chakra-absorbing ropes tying you down." The man explained, taking out another ration bar. "I'll let that one slide but the next one will be your last mistake." Hinata glared at the man before taking a bite out of the bar. It wasn't exactly a cinnamon roll but she was too hungry to care. The two ate in silence and when Hinata finished, she continued to glare at her kidnapper.

"What?" he asked with irritation.

"Why are you kidnapping me?" Hinata asked and the man sneered.

"Don't worry about it now." he answered offhandedly. Hinata just shook her head stubbornly.

"Tell me." she ordered with an air of conviction and the man closed his eyes

"It's my mission to kidnap a Hyūga. It's just your luck that I ran into you and your team." His answer seemed care-free, as if he was talking about getting groceries at the store. "Any other questions?" Hinata hummed to herself.

"Well-"

"Too bad, we need to keep moving." The man stood and without hesitation, firmly grabbed Hinata's hands and tied the rope around her wrists. She groaned at how tight he was tying the rope. However, before she could voice her pain, the man had the gag over her mouth again. He then untied the rope around the tree and her waist, rolled it up and put it in his pack. He turned to her and saw her glaring at him again. He smirked menacingly before landing a harsh kick to her midsection. She gasped under her gag and moaned in agony. The man could only laugh at her pained expression.

"That was to show you that I will carry out my threat." he said as he grabbed Hinata by her short raven hair and pulled her to her feet with a harsh yank. "This is just for fun." He said as he picked her up and carelessly tossed her to his shoulder. He grunted and found his equilibrium before walking forward.

Hinata yelled fiercely and incoherently but the man only laughed.

"Shut up." Hinata glared at the back of his head before sighing, making her body relax.

Being patient was harder than she thought.

**[*.*.*.*]**

The water felt fresh and cool on Naruto's face and hands. He drank a bit from it and sighed happily as he downed the reflecting pool's water. There's was nothing better than drinking fresh natural water under a full moon. Besides ramen of course but that didn't need to be said.

His stomach growled and he deadpanned, holding his stomach with his right hand. A thought popped in his mind and he smiled brightly as he ran to the knocked down tree and picked up his pack. He brought it over to the river and stuck his hand in it, fishing around for something before yanking his arm out and taking out three cups of instant ramen and a pot. He began to fill the pot with water from the reflecting pool. He placed it down next to the pool and grabbed branches from random trees and piled them together near the pool. With quick hand signs, he summoned up his chakra to his mouth and spat out a small flame onto the branches.

When the fire began to grow, he took out a camp grill and placed it over the fire. With his body shaking with eagerness, he placed the pot on the grill and waited impatiently for the water to boil. As he waited, he began to think of the old man again. His smile faltered as he wondered what secrets he was keeping from him. He stared absentmindedly into the fire as it crackled and added extra light into the area.

His smile returned when he snapped out of his thoughts and saw the water in the pot boiling. He grabbed one instant ramen and filled it up with the hot water and then set it down to fill the second cup. After filling the second and third cups, he waited for the water to cook the ramen and sighed.

"This is taking too long." he whined as he stared at the cups, as if staring at them will cook them faster. He couldn't take it any longer, he had to eat the ramen now.

As he reached down to grab his first ramen cup, he stopped just inches away and his ears twitched. He heard sounds that reminded him of muffled cries and groans. He closed his eyes before reopening them, his Fox Eyes scanning the area around him. After adapting to the dark, Naruto was able to make out movement to the left of him. He squinted his eyes and saw two people; one was upright and the other was slung over that one's shoulders. He heard muffled cries coming from one of the two, most likely from the one who was being carried.

Too curious for his own good, Naruto got up, climbed a tree and slowly tailed the two mysterious figures. The closer he got, the more detail he took in. He saw that the one holding someone on his shoulders was a man at least twice his age and a jonin at the most. He wore a black mask with a black jumpsuit. On his shoulders was a girl around his age. She had raven hair with lavender eyes and a cream colored hooded-jacket with a fire symbol on the upper right and left sleeves and navy blue pants. Her wrists and ankles were tied by what Naruto assumed was chakra-absorbing rope. Her mouth was gagged and had a trail of dry tears on her pale cheeks.

He hated seeing any woman in distress; it was his thing, his flaw. If he could do anything to help a woman in any way, he would. Obviously, he made exceptions for women who stubbornly rejected his help or were clearly his enemy. Still, he knew this could lead to his death in the near future but old habits die hard.

The girl looked up and her eyes widened at seeing him. She moaned under her gag and Naruto's fist tightened. Naruto then stopped on his branch just as the man stopped in his tracks. His eyes narrowed, suspicious of the man's motives. He heard something creeping up behind him; moving at the last moment, he narrowly avoided getting a kunai embedded into his back. The kunai scratched his left flank as he jumped down from the branch and landed in between his newest attacker and the man holding the girl. He stood side to side, quickly alternating from watching his attacker and the man holding the girl.

"Who the hell are you?" The man asked and Naruto's eyes landed on his attacker, who charged. With quickness given to him by training, Naruto ducked under his attacker's kunai and kicked his feet from under him. The attacker fell and that was when Naruto noticed that he looked exactly like the other man.

_'It's probably a clone. But what kind of clone?'_ Naruto thought as he got on top of the clone without a beat and landed a solid punch on the clone's face. Naruto quickly got off the clone when he saw it burst into water and try to engulf him. He turned his back to the puddle and faced the man. He pulled down his mask with his free mask and smiled sinisterly.

"You're quicker than this girl was." He said and Hinata moaned loudly, clearly offended by the comment. Naruto just shrugged.

"So, what are you doing with this girl?" Naruto asked, his chivalrous attitude getting the best of him. "Certainly doesn't look like you're escorting her home." The man smirked arrogantly.

"What makes you say that?" he asked and Naruto couldn't help but smile himself.

"It might have been the fact that she's tied up and being carried by you at night," Naruto mused with his right hand caressing his chin. "But mostly, its because you don't look like the escorting type."

"Not true, I'm escorting this girl somewhere right now." the man mocked with a fake hurtful expression on his face. "You don't even know me." Naruto raised an eyebrow but his smile remained; he was clearly amused.

"Now why don't you beat it brat? I'm busy at the moment." the man said before turning and walking away. Naruto took one look at Hinata and their eyes connected. He could see the rage in her eyes, along with disappointment and wonder.

"Sorry." Naruto said as he took a step forward. His voice made the man stop and face him. "But I can't let you go without a fight. This seems too suspicious." Naruto declared and the man's smirk returned ten fold.

"You're willing to die for someone you've never met before?" he asked. Naruto took in a breath and sighed.

"This is something I just can't walk away from. Not if I want to live with myself afterward." Naruto answered and the man slowly put Hinata to the side.

"If that's how it's going to be." the man said as he took out a kunai. Hinata was just staring at Naruto with wide eyes; she couldn't believe who she was looking at. It couldn't be, it wasn't logical. Could it be that the Yondaime Hokage's son had survived after all, just like he said? He hadn't told everyone, but, because her father was close friends with Minato, he was told almost everything.

Of course, the boy had shorter hair then the Hokage and whisker marks on his face but he did look like a carbon copy of him. But his name... At the moment, Hinata couldn't remember Minato's son's name. It was on the tip of her tongue.

Before she could come up with his name, her attention was torn from her thoughts as she watched the man make hand signs while accumulating a huge amount of chakra.

"Round One." Naruto said as he watched chakra surround the man.

"**Water Style: Storm Upheaval!**" The man shouted as water began to shoot down from the sky and head for Naruto. Making a quick hand sign and taking in a huge breath, Naruto let the wind in his lungs go and he was sent flying backwards, away from the falling water. He skidded to a stop and watched as the water drenched the soil under them. Running, both enemies met in the middle in a clash of kunai before the older was able to push the younger back.

Naruto flipped back continuously as the man followed after him. Naruto stopped short of a flip and rushed forward, catching the man by surprise. Naruto landed a strong punch into the man's gut and sent him rolling back. Another hand sign later, Naruto was surrounded by smoke and the man was already on his feet.

Without warning, seven Narutos popped out of the smoke and ran towards the man. The man's eyes widened but he regained his composure and defended against the clones with some trouble. He kicked one clone in the stomach, making it disperse before jumping away and making the tiger hand sign.

Six water clones ran at the remaining six shadow clones while a seventh water clone headed for the original Naruto, who stayed back. The Naruto in the back narrowed his eyes and appeared in front of the clone and sent a kick to its head. The water clone blocked it with his left arm and sent a straight jab at Naruto's chest. Naruto groaned before it blew up into a puff of smoke. The clone's eyes widened.

"**Shadow Clone Jutsu!**" More clones appeared from the trees and ambushed the lone water clone. The clone had no chance, it was outnumbered ten to one. The clones easily disrupted the one water clone and went to join their brethren to defeat the other water clones while others went to deal with the original. While they did, the original Naruto climbed down a tree and sneaked over to Hinata. She saw him take out a kunai while eying her. She blushed, thinking he was staring at her body like a pervert.

She was surprised when he ran the kunai through the rope and freed her arms and legs. He stared into her eyes, his eyes mere inches from hers, causing her blush to deepen.

"Get out of here." Naruto said but before Hinata could ask any questions, he got up and went after the kidnapper who had dispersed the last clone. Making hand signs, Naruto sucked in his breath and let out a large ball of fire. It headed for the man but he blocked it with a wall of water he summoned before hand. Steam surrounded the battle but that didn't stop Naruto from charging through the steam and using his Fox Eyes to locate the man as he tried to make water clones to surprise Naruto.

"**Wind Style: Divine Wind!**" A gust of wind originated from Naruto's mouth, blowing away the steam, and then formed into tornadoes that tore up the ground as they headed for Naruto's attacker.

The man's eyes widened and he began to yell as the tornadoes tore at his sides. Naruto wasn't surprised when the man turned into water but he wasn't expecting him to appear behind him and kick him behind his back. Naruto was sent flying into the reflecting pool. Naruto popped his head out of the water, taking in a breath and shaking the excess water from his hair.

"**Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu!**" Naruto cursed as he was trapped in a dome of compressed water. The man laughed as he held the water prison with his left hand. "How ironic; this is how I captured the girl you _were_ trying to save. Now you're going to die and she's still coming with me." He said with a devious smirk on his face.

"**Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!**" A feminine voice roared from behind the man. He growled as he released Naruto from the prison to avoid getting hit by Hinata. Hinata glared at the man as she stood beside Naruto. Naruto looked up at her with a questioning look before seeing something reflecting from her neck.

_'Is that a forehead protector?' _He thought as Hinata moved to where the man stood on top of the reflecting pool and began assaulting him with chakra powered fingertips and palms.

The man was fast and knew some water jutsu. Hinata guessed he was a Jonin. She didn't stand a chance against the man but with the boy who saved her, maybe they could defeat him together; even if he was from Iwa.

Naruto ran on all fours up to the man and swiped his claws at him. The man saw it coming and accordingly dodged with a jump to the left. He smirked at Naruto's failed attempt until he felt his left side get three long cuts coming from his chest down to his waist. He growled and jumped away from the two genin.

"You brat." he snarled at Naruto who smirked in an animalistic manner. "How did you do that?" he barked.

"Wind chakra." Was Naruto's response before he charged again. Hinata was right behind him, backing him up.

"Don't get cocky!" The man jumped and slammed his hands on the surface of the water. "**Water Style: Mouth of a Serpent.**" As the man uttered the jutsu's name, a giant column of water appeared behind him. It changed into a large water serpent and engulfed Naruto in a single gulp. Hinata watched in surprise as the serpent changed into a river that carried Naruto away into the forest.

"Pay attention." Hinata blinked as a tidal wave swallowed her up and pushed her into a tree. The force of the hit caused her to lose her breath and had her on all fours, trying to catch her second wind. Her vision blurred for a second and her brain was pounding against her skull. She moaned in pain when a hand shot out, grabbed Hinata by her neck and raised her to his eye level. The man ripped Hinata's forehead protector from her neck and tossed it aside.

"You bitch." the man hissed as he tightened his hold. Hinata squinted her eyes in pain as she held on to the man's wrist. "I told you I'd kill you and take your eyes." The man laughed insanely as he propped his free hand's index and middle finger over Hinata's eyes. She squirmed under his hold as she tried to free herself.

_'It can't end here... It's still not my time!'_ Hinata's mind shouted in rebellion. She would not blindly follow fate and destiny's words. She would fight till the very end.

Suddenly, a hand made of red chakra grabbed the man by his waist, shooting forward into the water, making the man's back crash against the bottom of the pool. The hand retracted back to Naruto who panted. He smirked as he walked back to Hinata's side who was kneeling and rubbing her neck.

"You all right?" He asked, his eyes not leaving the reflecting pool. Hinata nodded and stood. Naruto was about to say something but his eyes landed on something near the pool and he gaped. Hinata soon noticed his expression and raised an eyebrow.

"W-What is it?" Hinata asked, a bit thrown off by her own stutter. She hadn't stuttered since she was eight. In a blink of an eye, Naruto appeared near the edge of the reflecting pool and knelt.

"Why?" Tears appeared in his eyes as he held his fallen ramen cups. "They were innocent bystanders." Hinata sweat dropped. She walked up to Naruto slowly. While she did, Hinata was unaware of the moisture in the air slowly coming together over her. Water needles appeared over the two as the kidnapper smiled sinisterly from under the water. Naruto, however, could sense the extra moisture in the air, he turned and saw the needles in the air.

He quickly replaced himself with Hinata as the needles moved to pierce her.

"Gah." Naruto's eyes widened as he felt the water needles pierce him from every side. Blood flowed through his mouth but he spat it out and gasped, his breathing starting to become more labored.

"A-Are you ok?" Hinata asked as she knelt beside Naruto who was staring at the ground with blank cerulean eyes. The water needles dispersed and flowed out of his wounds only to be replaced by his blood. Naruto's eyes closed and he fell on his face. "Hey!"

"That brat is dead." Hinata gasped as she looked up and saw the man standing passively over the pool. "You should've ran away when you had the chance." A smirk appeared on his lips as he slowly made his way towards them. Hinata stood in front of Naruto and fell into her Gentle Fist stance.

"Stop right there!" Hinata shouted, glaring at the man with her Byakugan active. The man ignored her as he continued to get closer to her and Naruto. Her muscles tensed; she couldn't do much to harm this man. His power and skills were above hers, she would most likely die before she could successfully land a hit on him. He was in her face a second later and kicked her back. She rolled back and flipped to her feet only to see her kidnapper grab Naruto and toss him into the pool.

The last thing Naruto saw before he lost consciousness was the moon's image rippling from under the water.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Kushina sat up, gasping for air and holding her neck with her right hand. A sudden rush of oxygen filled her lungs and she found herself panting heavily, forcing her lungs to accept the air and expelling her breath.

_'That dream felt too real.'_ Kushina thought. She wiped the sweat from her brow and took the time to catch her second wind. When she did, she lazily threw the blanket back, revealing creamy legs which she swung over the edge of the bed and got up. She only wore black satin panties and a black tank top.

She gracefully floated to the bathroom and straight for the sink. She turned it on and splashed cold water on her face. She sighed and propped herself up with her arms.

She needed to see Minato. She needed to talk to him now. And she knew exactly where he'd be at this time.

***.***

Kushina found Minato exactly where she thought he'd be, in the same position as she pictured. His head was drooped forward, his shoulders hunched and his arms still as they remained on his side as he stood in front of a large stone. In his right hand a photograph but it was too dark to see what picture was on it. It didn't matter though, Kushina knew whose picture it was.

She slowly made her way towards him, her posture and demeanor solemn. When she stood only a few feet from him, his body shivered and he leisurely turned to face her. He stopped when his sad azure eyes rested on his wife and he couldn't help but smile. Kushina had to smile as well, mostly because she noticed a bit of life shine in Minato's otherwise dull eyes when he saw her.

She hugged him from behind and rested her head on his shoulder blades, nuzzling them affectionately while she hummed comfortingly and groggily.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" Kushina could feel his body slightly vibrate because of his voice and she moaned tiredly.

"I should." She answered, half her mouth muffled by his back. He chuckled with slight mirth.

"Another dream?" he asked and felt her nod. "What happened?" he waited patiently as he let his wife collect her thoughts and verbalize them.

"He was drowning, sinking deeper into the water but... the water was red, like blood, but I could tell it wasn't. His eyes were glassy and lifeless and his body was covered with cuts and bruises. Then..." she paused, chewing her lower lip and causing Minato to turn and hug her with all his might without squeezing the air from her lungs.

"It's okay, take your time." His words comforted her more than she thought they would as she sighed and shivered under his hold.

"Out of nowhere, the Kyūbi comes from the abyss and swallows Naruto whole." Tears stained Minato's shirt but he didn't notice and even if he did, he wouldn't care. "He looked so young." she added with her voice quivering. Minato silenced her with a tighter embrace and a soft hum.

"It was just a dream." Minato assured her, rubbing her back softly. Kushina blinked and looked up at Minato, some fight sparking in her violet eyes.

"That's just it Minato, I don't think it's just a dream." Her voice sounded stronger as she spoke and Minato could only wonder why. They both had a small feeling that Naruto was still alive but for whatever reason, they never went in-depth. Seemed like the time had come.

"What do you mean?" he asked her innocently and she looked to her right, some embarrassment in her eyes accompanied by a pink tint to her cheeks.

"...you're going to think I'm crazy." Minato raised an eyebrow, noticing her reluctance to speak her mind. He shook his head.

"There are millions of reasons why I should think you're crazy," he chuckled at seeing the glare she gave him. "But I don't. Now tell me." she sighed.

"Maybe he is alive." Minato could hear the conviction backing up her words and he smiled. "Actually, I'm willing to bet anything that he is." Kushina was a very strong woman, Minato knew this. She was proud to be one and had no problem catching up with any male that challenged her success. Overall, she was a fortress; strong, powerful, defensive and hard to overcome. However, there were times when she seemed like a damsel in distress. Minato could count the number of times she's played that role with one hand. For her to show vulnerability was as common as a lunar eclipse.

Now was one of those uncommon times: as he stared into her eyes, he saw desperation and vulnerability dancing in them.

"Me too." His response seemed to be what Kushina wanted to hear because her eyes lit up. "But for now, we have to be patient. One day, Kushina-chan, we'll see him again." His azure eyes looked up at the moon and he smiled. "And when that day comes, we'll be a family again." Kushina just stared at him with love and a bit of disbelief.

"How can you be so sure?" Her voice brought Minato's eyes back to her. His eyes crinkled as his smile widened.

"He has Uzumaki and Namikaze blood; he's alive out there. That much I can be sure of." Tears accumulated in Kushina's eyes just as she smiled happily and hugged him with all she had. He returned the gesture and stared back at the large stone he was staring at before. Just under the name 'Hiruzen Sarutobi' was a name dear to his heart.

The words 'Naruto Namikaze' disappearing from the stone reflecting the moon's light.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Naruto opened his eyes, his vision blurry and vague. It didn't matter though, even if his vision was perfect, all he would see is water. Not just any water either; the water had a dark red shade to it. His mind was scattered, his thoughts rushing left and right, each hazy and alien.

After taking the time to compose himself, Naruto noticed that he wasn't sinking but was actually rising to the surface of the red water. He blinked and noticed another strange fact; he was breathing even while he was underwater. He just waited until his head and the rest of his body surfaced and he saw that three walls surrounded him from all sides except for his right. The room was spacious and even the ceiling disappeared in the shadows. There was a red light coming from somewhere but Naruto couldn't see from where exactly. To his right were metal bars, continuously stretching down into the water and up to the ceiling. On the center bar was a note that read 'seal'.

"Why am I not surprised," droned Naruto as his eyes stared into the darkness. His body slowly floated to the bars and he continued to stare into the dark. He didn't flinch when red eyes suddenly popped out of nowhere, nor did he blink when three nails ten times his size tried to pass the bars and rip him to shreds. "Still hostile? I'm guessing you still don't like me?" A growl echoed through the room and Naruto took that as a 'yes'.

"**You brat!" **An angry, rough voice shouted from inside the steel bars. **"Set me free! I am done being your battery****!****"** Naruto shook his head.

"No can do, I still need you." Naruto denied as he sat up and rolled his shoulders to get rid of the crick in his neck. "Speaking of which, I need some of it now." Naruto got to his feet and walked over to the cage and touched it with his right hand. The steel felt cold under his palm but Naruto paid no mind to it as he saw the Kyūbi's red chakra start to go up his arm and surround him. He could feel adrenaline pump in his veins and his heart begin to race as his eyes changed from cerulean to crimson in the blink of an eye.

His eyes widened as he was hit with a sudden fit of coughs, causing him to double over. He clutched for his heart as he tried to catch his breath.

"**Fool."** the chakra fox sneered as he watched Naruto compose himself. **"Serves you right; you know you're at your limit." **Then, the Kyūbi made a vague gesture with his shoulders, almost like a shrug. **"It's not like I care, though. I enjoy seeing you suffer."** Naruto sneered at the Kyūbi and reared his right fist back and punched the bars. The bars vibrated and it sent a high-pitched tone through the room. The Kyūbi winced and growled.

"Shut the hell up." Naruto growled as he pushed himself off the bars and walked towards the opposite side of the room. A door suddenly appeared and Naruto stepped over the threshold. Before he left the Kyūbi's sight, he turned and gave the beast one last passive look. He shook his head and left, the door disappearing, with the Kyūbi glaring at another wall. He growled as he thrashed against his jail with fury for his host.

Releasing the anger in him, the Kyūbi stopped and let the remaining aggression in him go by growling once in a while. Suddenly, his face changed to a devious smile and he started to chuckle as he closed his eyes and retreated into the darker side of his cage.

"**When you return, my host, there will be a surprise waiting for you."** His voice echoed and his chuckle quickly turned into a full blown maniacal laughter.

Naruto's eyes popped open and his eyes were not looking up at the moon. They narrowed as he summoned up the Kyūbi's chakra, encircling him with the chakra. A violent cough escaped his lips but he ignored it as he readied his body for the upcoming fight.

_'Round Two...'_

***.***

"Come out, little Hyūga." Hinata panted as quietly as she could as she hid from her attacker. She tried to fight back, giving her all and yet the man was able to survive all of it. She still had one jutsu she hadn't tried but it was still unsafe. She wasn't completely sure of her own abilities as she led on, more so when the jutsu was of her own creation.

Hinata gasped when she heard water rushing, slowly becoming louder. She jumped and a wave of water tore at the tree she hid behind and she watched as it was washed away.

"Gotcha!" Hinata gasped when her attacker grabbed her right arm and twisted it behind her back. "Thought you could get away?" the man asked while twisting her arm and raising it to painful levels. Hinata whimpered but not a gasp or cry of pain escaped her lips. She bit down on them, preventing her attacker from enjoying her pain. He snarled at her silence and with a sharp pull, he dislocated Hinata's arm from her shoulder, eliciting a loud yell from the Hyūga heiress. He released her arm and kicked her back, sending her to the ground.

She clutched at her arm as tears flooded out of her eyes. She lay flat on her stomach, letting out occasional cries and howls of pain. The man walked up to Hinata, and with a sick smile, he stepped on her right shoulder; a sickening popping sound rang through the forest.

"What's the matter?" the man said in mock worry. He grabbed her right shoulder and harshly turned her to her back, causing her to scream again. "Does it hurt that much?" Even in pain, Hinata wanted nothing more than to silence the man for good. She turned her head, not wanting to look at him as she held her arm. She failed to notice him take out a kunai and place it right over her heart until the tip of the kunai touched her skin. She didn't move after that.

"Here, let me put you out of your misery." Hinata closed her eyes as the man reared the kunai back. He stopped short of thrusting the kunai into Hinata's heart when a sudden foreboding feeling caused him to shiver. He looked back at the reflecting pool to see bubbles.

_'He's not dead yet?'_ the man cursed as he returned to focus on Hinata and ending her life. Before he could even move his hand, evil tainted chakra filled the area and caused the man to gasp. _'What the hell is this?'_

Hinata's eyes sprang open and she felt fear crawl into her heart. _'This chakra... it isn't human...'_

Suddenly, from under the attacker, a red chakra hand burst through the ground and grabbed the man. It shot up in the air before coming down and slamming him into the ground. Dust was kicked up and surrounded the man as the chakra hand retracted to the hole it came from.

"What the hell..." the attacker drifted off as he held his head, hoping to stop his vision from shaking. He looked back at the reflecting pool and saw Naruto, in his demon cloak, standing over the water. His eyes were cold and hard as they stared at the man.

"W-Who... who the he-" The man was cut off when Naruto started to chuckle.

"Just who the hell do you think I am?" Naruto asked. "I'm Naruto, Naruto of the Blazing Gale and I won't fall to you!" Naruto raced down the gap between him and his attacker in a blink of an eye. The man wasn't able to respond fast enough as Naruto grabbed his neck and forced him deeper into the ground. The man grunted as he gripped Naruto's wrists. The man smiled and collapsed into a puddle of water.

"Why do you continue fighting? She's a lost cause." Naruto turned and received a sharp punch to the face, sending him flying back. He righted himself and glared at the man who stood in his previous spot. "This is your last chance; leave now and I'll spare your life." Naruto could see that the man was dead serious; he was willing to let Naruto walk out of this fight alive. He growled.

"Don't underestimate me!" Naruto shouted as he ran at the man again, with renewed energy and conviction. "**Fire Style: Running Fire!**" He shouted as he spat out a stream of fire that surrounded the man. Making more hand signs, he sucked in a deep breath. "**Wind Style: Divine Wind!**" Multiple tornadoes rushed out of Naruto's mouth and headed for his attacker. The tornadoes sucked up the fire and became tornadoes of flame as they assaulted the man from all directions.

The man's eyes widened as he made fast hand signs and summoned up a wall of water to protect himself. Unfortunately for him, the first wave of flaming tornadoes collided with the water wall and blasted it away. The man landed on his butt and looked up in time to see the second wave of tornadoes clash and explode on impact. Water and dust was kicked into the air, blocking the man from Naruto's view.

Naruto waited patiently for the dust to clear and when it did, he didn't see his attacker anywhere. He looked around and the only other person he saw was Hinata who was cradling her right arm while staring at him. He flipped away just as a rain of kunai came rushing towards him. He glared in the direction they came from but he still saw no one.

While he searched for the kidnapper, Hinata couldn't help but stare at Naruto.

_'That's the Yondaime's son's name! Naruto Namikaze.'_ Hinata thought with her heart pounding against her chest. _'This can't be a coincidence.'_

"Come out you coward! DATTEBAYO!" Naruto shouted with anger and adrenaline. Hinata sweat dropped.

_'That sounds like something Kaa-san would say.'_

"Naruto?" Naruto turned and was surprised to see his sensei staring at him with confusion. "What happened, hm?" Deidara asked and Naruto looked around. He took the time to sniff the air and found that the man's scent wasn't anywhere near him. He growled and was about to find the bastard but he collapse to his knees in a fit of violent coughs. The Kyūbi's demon cloak receded and Naruto felt all his energy leave him. His eyes became glassy and his vision blurred as he fell on his face and lost consciousness.

Deidara rushed to him and checked Naruto over. He wasn't going to die but he needed to see a doctor. He heard a small voice groan and he looked up to see Hinata trying to sit up.

"You okay?" he asked and Hinata struggled just to nod. "Come on, I'll take you to the hospital along with my student, hm." Deidara summoned a clone and the clone picked up Hinata while the original tossed Naruto to his shoulders. The clone could feel Hinata tense and he let out a small chuckle.

"It's okay, you'll be healed in no time, hm." Hinata just stared at him before turning her eyes to the unconscious blond.

"I-If you don't mind me asking..." The clone tilted his head and hummed. "Who is that boy?" Hinata asked and the clone smiled in a brotherly fashion at Naruto.

"He's Naruto, hm." the clone said and paused to think. "Although, he is trying to add 'of the Blazing Gale' to the end of his name. Not bad but it'll be a while before it catches on." the clone shook his head and began to follow the original as they headed for the hospital.

As they did, Hinata couldn't help but think of the boy who saved her.

_'Naruto of the Blazing Gale?'_ She smiled softly as drowsiness began to take her. _'Not bad...'_

* * *

**Hope you liked!**

**Don't really got much to say...**

**Except I'm getting God of War 3 tomrrow!**

**Can't wait to tear it up...**

**till next time!**

**********Good luck with whatever and if you got a problem with me or one of my stories, please feel free to: Deal with it, Get over it or Choke on it...**  



	5. A Not Date

**Yo!**

**Sorry it's been a long time since I updated but i had no internet sinec... i think the 12th of february.. not sure...**

**Either way, I'm back...**

**Hope you enjoy the somewhat longer chapter...**

**By the way, there's a part in here [well, one or two] that might throw you off guard... What I'm going to say about it, just don't take it at face value... You'll see what I mean...**

******I'd like to thank hinatasgreatestfan for all the help... it's because of his help that my story hasn't been completely confusing...**  


**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 5: A Not-Date...**

**I don't own anything...**

* * *

Hinata hummed to herself as she stared at the ceiling before blinking, sighing and turning to her left where a sleeping Naruto was. After she woke up from last night's events, a doctor came and informed her of her injuries. Her right arm was dislocated and it'd take about two months or so before it'd be completely healed so it hung in a sling. Then... the doctor turned his attention to her temporary roommate.

To say that the doctor was shocked would be an understatement. The fact that Naruto was even breathing surprised the hell out of him. The only word the doctor said before rushing out was 'damn'. Hinata wasn't sure what that meant, but she was sure that Naruto was anything but normal. Considering what she knew about him, even before the kidnapping, she wasn't totally surprised that she'd see that kind of reaction from the doctor. Kaa-san did mention that Jinchuuriki always had an impressive healing rate.

Still, even Hinata had to admire Naruto's own determination to live. Kaa-san also told her that even with the healing rate, it'd be worthless if the Jinchuuriki didn't have a desire to live. Considering how horrible he looked the other night yet only needing to sleep away the injuries without being hooked up to machines, his determination was admirable.

But that wasn't the only word Hinata thought of when she thought of the blond haired boy. He was an honorable man...er, teen with a powerful arsenal of jutsu, strength and speed. Not to mention, he was physically attractive. His muscles all looked rock hard and unmoving, like a boulder. Blushing, Hinata looked away and continued to stare at the ceiling, mentally scolding herself. She didn't even know him, at least, not on a personal level. All she knew about him was that he was the Yondaime's son.

"Yondaime's son..." Hinata muttered as she redirected her gaze at Naruto. She heard footsteps and averted her gaze just as the blond man from yesterday appeared. He blinked when he saw Hinata staring back but recomposed himself and smiled.

"You're awake, hm?" Deidara asked with mirth. Hinata nodded and he walked to Naruto's side. "He sure took a beating." Hinata heard no mirth in his voice, even though there was a soft smile on his face. After staring at him a moment longer, Deidara turned to Hinata. "Who did this?" His tone was cold as the weather in the Land of Spring and Hinata unconsciously shivered.

"I'm not sure." she answer hesitantly, she didn't want his sudden anger to be directed at her. "All h-he told me w-was that it was his m-mission to kidnap me." Hinata hated her stutter. Ever since her kaa-san helped her with her shyness, she only stuttered under large amounts of stress, when scared out of her mind or when she was embarrassed. Currently, she was intimidated by the man; what if he decides to kill her now that she was no use to him or just a burden. Even if he wasn't like that, what guarantees did she have that she wasn't going to be left behind by him and Naruto? She didn't know where she was.

Deidara cursed under his breath and headed for the door.

"Wait!" Hinata was surprised by how loud she yelled but didn't regret when she saw him stop and turn. "Where am I?" She asked and the straight line his lips made shifted to a small smile.

"Hoshigakure." he answered and shook his head slowly. "Konoha is only a three day's travel from here." Hinata's eyes widened and she sat up straight.

"Y-You... You know who I am?" Deidara chuckled but shook his head.

"Not personally, but all I had to do was look at your eyes and I immediately knew that you're a Hyūga." Deidara answered and Hinata bit her lower lip.

"Then... why are you being so nice to me? Aren't you from Iwagakure?" The second the question was asked, Deidara took one last look at Naruto.

"We might hate Konoha but we're still human." Hinata nodded slowly, still comprehending what he said. "At any rate, get some rest, we'll be leaving soon." Hinata raised an eyebrow but before she could ask any other questions, Deidara left the room. She sighed and laid back down, her brain and heart racing.

_'What did he mean by that?' _Hinata contemplated before looking at Naruto again. No mater how many times she stared at him, she still couldn't believe she found the Yondaime's son. It was a sort of miracle, a once-in-a-lifetime event. It was scary just how similar he looked to his father. Actually, looking closer, he looked more like his mother with the exception of the hair. It was only the hair that gave her the impression that he was the Yondaime's son.

Groaning softly, Hinata threw her feet over the bed and slowly stood. She stretched her back before righting herself and staring at Naruto once more. She took baby steps as she moved over to the chair on the left of his bed and sat down cautiously. After making sure she wasn't going to fall off, Hinata extended her left hand and gulped. It slowly crossed the gap between them and she hesitated to touch his whiskered cheek. What if he woke up? Would he find her weird if he saw her do this? Would he get mad?

Swallowing her hesitation, Hinata's hand finally made contact with his skin and she couldn't help but smile at her earlier fear when he didn't flinch. She retracted her hand when he moaned and licked his lips. She sighed in relief and decided not to touch him again. She just stared at him, thinking about her next step.

Should she alert the Yondaime about her discovery or should she try to convince Naruto to come back? Should she even do anything at all? Of course she should, she knew she'd feel like she's betraying her kaa-san and the Yondaime is she did nothing.

But how should she do it? Will Naruto cooperate?

She sat there for hours, uninterrupted from her thoughts until Naruto moaned again. She looked at him and saw a goofy smile plastered on his face with a bit of drool coming out of the corner of his mouth.

"Ramen... ramen... ramen..." he mumbled and Hinata couldn't help but giggle. She just thought it was just so damn cute. "Ramen... stupid fox." Hinata blinked at the last comment. Was he dreaming about the Kyūbi. She watched his goofy expression change to a irritated one.

_'I wonder what he's thinking about...'_

**[*.*.*.*]**

Naruto growled at the cage in front of him. He was having a perfect dream; ramen everywhere! All of it was free too!

Now here he is, standing in front of the cage with the Kyūbi laughing somewhere inside the cage. If he wasn't so angry, he would've noticed that the Kyūbi's laugh was different.

"What the hell do you want?" Naruto asked angrily. When he saw red eyes light up from the darkness, he felt his anger dim down now that he knew the Kyūbi was going to answer him. However, he noticed that the eyes were a hell of a lot smaller than usual and they had a gleam in them. If Naruto read them correctly, he just saw a sort of lust in its eyes.

_'What the hell?'_ Naruto finally released enough anger to catch the difference in the Kyūbi's laugh. It was more... feminine?

"**I see you've noticed my host."** Naruto's eyes widened at the soft, sultry voice that came from behind the steel bars.

"K-Kyūbi?" Naruto stuttered in disbelief. Another feminine laugh came from inside the cage. Naruto was finally able to see a silhouette from inside the cage.

"**Actually, my name is Yōko."**The silhouette finally came into light and Naruto gasped. The Kyūbi was standing there as a girl. No, not a girl. A woman. She was of average height for a woman, long, brilliant red hair and a red kimono that showed off her curves elegantly with a yellow obi. Her breasts were breathtakingly huge without seeming overbearing or exaggerated but what caught Naruto's eye was her nine bushy red tails and animalistic golden red eyes with the slitted pupil. The look she gave Naruto sent a chill down his spine and he couldn't stop the blush from creeping into his cheeks.

Seeing the blush on his face madeYōko giggle this time, taking Naruto out of his shocked state.

"Wha... What the hell is going on?" Naruto shouted in anger. Her giggles died down and she stared at Naruto with an amused expression. She leaned her right shoulder on the steel bars with a cross of her arms under her chest and Naruto's eyes immediately went to her large breasts which seemed interesting at the moment.

"**I didn't know you were so perverted, host. I see you're enjoying my original form."** Yōko teased in a seductive tone and Naruto growled.

"What the hell do you mean your original form? I thought you were always a stupid fox living inside my belly. And I always thought you were a boy... er, male." Naruto countered, hoping to remove the smile from her face but he wasn't expecting her to giggle.

"**Not everything is as it seems, my host." **This made Naruto raise an eyebrow.

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" Naruto asked warily.

"**Simply because I appeared in front of you in the form of a fox with a deep voice doesn't mean I'm not a woman."** Yōko answered patiently. **"Not everything is as it seems."** she repeated. Naruto continued to stare at Yōko skeptically, looking her up and down. **"Does this form not please you?"**

Yōko smiled as she glowed and her form was starting to change. In a matter of seconds, her hair shortened and blackened, her breast became perkier and her eyes changed to a pink tint. Her bushy tails also changed to a darker tone.

"**Does this please you more?"** Naruto shook his head.

"Looking and sounding like a nine-tailed Kurotsuchi doesn't make this any less awkward. If anything, I'm a little bit disturbed to have my teammate locked in a cage inside my gut." Yōko smiled and began to glow once more. This time, her hair got longer and changed to a raven blue tint, her breast grew and her eyes changed to a light lavender color. Her tails also changed to a raven tint with the exception of the tips which were as white as snow.

"**How is this, master?" **Naruto gulped as he stared at Yōko in the form of the girl he saved. Her voice was soft and soothing, lulling him to get closer to her. She blushed, blinked and continually broke the eye contact only to reconnect it. **"Do you like it?" **The question seemed to snap Naruto out of his daze and he crossed his arms.

"Whatever." Naruto looked away with a blush of his own. Yōko giggled and returned to her original form. "Okay, let's say I believe you were always a woman with a weird knack to change into a male fox, what now? Is this what you brought me out of my sweet, sweet dream for?" Naruto asked with a little less patience, now remembering what his sweet dream was about. Yōko just shook her head.

"**I have decided to cooperate with you."** Yōko stated, throwing Naruto off his guard.

"W-What?"

"**You heard me my host. This quarrel between us has gone far enough. Yesterday showed me that our fighting will be the death of us. Should I have been more cooperative, you might have killed the man. It was fate that allowed your sensei to come when he did, for if he didn't..."** Yōko trailed off, letting her unspoken message travel into Naruto's head. She looked away with a saddened expression. It looked so genuine and Naruto actually doubted that she was acting.

"**Regardless, I have seen the error of my ways and I plan to make up for my previous actions." **Yōko paused and seemed to hesitate for a second before taking a step back, getting on her knees and bowing so low that her forehead was only an inch away from touching the water's surface. **"I'd like to apologize for my past behavior and hope to help you in the future." **She looked up and Naruto connected eyes with her. He saw them flash for a millisecond and he took a step back.

Naruto took in a deep breath and sighed. He really thought it was a good idea if the Kyūbi actually worked with him. But something in his gut was telling him to just say no. He only needed her chakra, nothing more. Still...

"I guess that makes sense." Naruto said slowly. He eyed Yōko one more time before letting out an exasperated sigh. "But no." Yōko's eyes widened, obviously not expecting that answer.

"**Why not?"** she asked and Naruto turned around to lean on one of the walls.

"The only thing I need from you is your chakra and you don't have a say in whether I get it or not. I don't care what you look like, I don't want or need your advice or whatever else you have to offer. You are my chakra battery, nothing more, nothing less." Her surprised expression faltered and she adopted an accepted yet sad look.

"**I see. You do not trust me yet. That's fine, my host. I can wait. I can wait for the day that I can show you my loyalty."** Yōko said as she stood and crossed her arms under her chest again. Naruto scoffed and turned.

"We'll see." Naruto disappeared and Yōko smirked.

"**One day, kit, you will learn to trust me."**

**[*.*.*.*]**

"Should I tell him now?" Hinata murmured to herself as she stared into space. "Should I wait?" She bit her lower lip and looked at him.

"What can I say without sounding crazy? 'Hello, how are you? Thanks for saving me. By the way, you're the Yondaime's son, so what are you doing in Iwa?' He's going to think I'm crazy." Hinata sighed and held her face with her palms. "This is harder than I thought."

"What is?"

"Eek!" Hinata jumped and turned to see Naruto stretching his arms and back and yawning silently. He opened his cerulean eyes and smiled immediately upon seeing Hinata. Then he remembered what the Kyūbi had showed him in his mind and he looked away with a small blush, barely noticeable. He coughed into his right balled up fist and smiled again, reestablishing eye contact.

"So, what's harder than you thought?" Naruto asked and Hinata's blush darkened.

"A-Ano...It's nothing now t-that I think a-about it." Naruto blinked and tilted his head in confusion. Hinata thought he had a cute expression. Naruto was about to say something but Hinata beat him to it.

"Ano, t-thanks for saving me." Hinata mentally cursed her stutter and was embarrassed that she did so in front of Naruto. He wasn't paying attention to her stutter though, just her words. His smile widened and his eyes crinkled because of it.

"No problem! I couldn't let some old man kidnap a girl." He then tilted his head again and raised an eyebrow. "If you don't mind me asking, why did he do that anyway?" Hinata hesitated to say why.

"I'm the heiress from my clan." Hinata answered. It wasn't a complete lie but it was far from the truth. It was by chance that the Hyūga heiress was kidnapped and not some random Hyūga. The only qualification the demented kidnapper had in his sick wish list was Hyūga blood. Hinata was overqualified but that didn't matter to the man; Hyūga blood was still Hyūga blood, no matter how prestigious it was.

"I see; from what clan?" This is what made Hinata hesitate to answer. What if he knew that the Hyūga clan was from Konoha?

"Naruto." Hinata and Naruto turned to the door where they saw his teammates looking at them. Kurotsuchi stood inside the room while Daichi stood between the room and the hallway "You're awake. I should probably go tell Deidara-sensei." Daichi nodded at Hinata and Naruto before leaving. Only Kurotsuchi remained before walking to Naruto, eying Hinata cautiously. In Kurotsuchi's mind, she was trouble and she needed to be eliminated before she became a major threat.

Hinata could feel the negative aura surrounding Kurotsuchi and the air thickened when Kurotsuchi sat on the other side of the bed. Sparks flew when Hinata and Kurotsuchi made eye contact. Hinata smiled politely but Kurotsuchi forced a smile with flames in her eyes. This didn't go unnoticed by Hinata.

"How are you Naruto-kun?" Kurotsuchi asked with earnest worry after turning her attention to him. Naruto only smiled.

"I'm fine Kurotsuchi. A bit sore but nothing a little training can't beat out." Kurotsuchi smiled happily at this before turning her eyes back to Hinata who noticed the glare in her eyes.

"I heard what happened." At this, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Sensei told us; anyway, that was really brave what you did."

"It was nothing." Naruto shrugged off the compliment but Hinata placed a delicate hand on his right forearm and smiled. She didn't know what possessed her to do that and if she was alone with Naruto, she probably would've back pedaled, blushed and apologized.

"It was more than nothing. If it wasn't for you, I would probably be dead... or worse." Hinata said the last statement solemnly. Kurotsuchi rolled her eyes and Naruto smiled sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, maybe that's true." His smile brightened when he saw Hinata smile shyly. "But don't make a big deal out of it. Anyone in my position would've done the same."

"I wouldn't." Kurotsuchi said under her breath but Naruto ignored it. Hinata continued to smile; if she heard what Kurotsuchi said, she didn't show it.

"Still, I want to repay you somehow." Hinata said and inwardly, she was freaking out. _'Where are these words coming from?' _Her mind yelled. _'Stop before you get in too deep!' _Hinata's only outward response to her thoughts was a blush on her cheeks and even then, it didn't deter the smile on her luscious lips which made Naruto's smile widen.

_'Who does this girl think she is?'_ Kurotsuchi thought angrily, her eyes glaring daggers at Hinata.

"It's fine, really." Naruto said, an alien feeling creeping in his heart by Hinata's forwardness. Honestly, he liked her forward yet polite demeanor. It was a good change of pace from the typical girls in Iwa. Still, he never had as much attention from a girl as he was getting from Hinata. Well, there was Kurotsuchi but they were teammates so that didn't count.

Hinata shook her head.

"I remember you mourning over the ramen last night." Kurotsuchi sweat-dropped and color filled Naruto's cheeks with a bit of embarrassment.

_'Great, now I won't hear the end of it from Kurotsuchi.' _he thought as he spared a glance at Kurotsuchi.

"They wouldn't have been ruined if it wasn't for me so let me treat you to some ramen." Naruto and Kurotsuchi's eyes widened.

_'NO FAIR! THAT'S CHEATING! HE CAN NEVER DENY FREE RAMEN!'_ Kurotsuchi thought furiously, her face red and her eyes on fire.

"Well..." Naruto looked at the ceiling with a joyous smile. A pretty girl treating him to free ramen? How could he say no?

"Please?" Hinata added, taking a quick glance at Kurotsuchi from the corner of her eye as she did so. Hinata then topped it off with a cute pout and Naruto couldn't find it in him to say no.

"Okay, fine." Naruto answered and Hinata smiled cutely with crinkled eyes. Kurotsuchi gaped at the two in shock and a bit hurt. "It's funny, it's like you just asked me out on a date." Now, it was Hinata's turn to get shocked. She did; she basically asked him out on a date. She had never been on a date before!

And with this, she fainted and leaned back on the chair, her eyes closed and her mind overloading.

"Hey, you okay?" Naruto started to panic. "We need help! Someone call a doctor!" Even though she basically lost Naruto's first date to a random girl, Kurotsuchi still smiled at Hinata's misfortune of fainting in front of him.

**[*.*.24 hours later.*.*]**

Minato sighed into his hand as he tried to contain his anger. Kurenai and her team had just been debriefed but when he asked about Hinata, he didn't like her answer.

"_I don't know." Minato raised an eyebrow._

"_You don't know? You're her sensei, it's your duty to know." Minato said, a bit angry that Kurenai didn't know where his goddaughter was._

"_Yondaime-sama, I know you care about Hinata. I feel the same so please, bear with me." Kurenai paused to bite her bottom lip. "She was kidnapped." Minato just stared at Kurenai, his face passive, void of all emotions. She felt uneasy under his stare but she stood her ground. _

"_Kidnapped?" Minato asked and Kurenai nodded. His brows furrowed; he hated that word, 'kidnap'. It reminded him of the day Naruto was born and 'died'._

"_It's the only thing that makes sense. The last place she was in was a watery battle field." she informed reluctantly. "I'm sorry, I've let you, Hyūga-sama and all of Konoha down." Kurenai ducked her head and sighed deeply. She felt horrible; Hinata was like her younger sister. No! She was her younger sister and now she was gone._

_Minato could see how torn Kurenai was by this turn of events. He closed his eyes in contemplation. Kurenai felt the tension in the air start to disperse and her body relaxed. When Minato opened his eyes, Kurenai saw that she wasn't speaking to the Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure but with Minato Namikaze, family man and friend. _

"_Don't be too hard on yourself, Kurenai. In this kind of situation, there wasn't much you could've done." That didn't make Kurenai feel much better. "We're going to find her, I promise." Kurenai couldn't help but smile; the determination sparking in Minato's eyes showed her that he was serious. He was going to find Hinata and to doubt his word would be beyond idiotic. Kurenai nodded._

"_I'm sure you will be able to pull this off, Hokage-sama." Kurenai said confidently and Minato nodded, flashing a smile before getting serious and official again._

"_I'll be sending a search team to find her. The team will include my students, a Hyūga and myself." Kurenai's eyes widened a bit._

"_You're going?" Minato nodded sharply._

"_I told you we're going to find her, I'm included in the 'we'." he told her._

"_But what of the village? Who'll watch over it while you're away?" Kurenai asked. Her answer came in the form of a loud yell coming from outside the office and Minato's happy-go-lucky smile._

"_Move! Out of my way! Minato!" Kurenai turn to face the door just as it burst opened, making way for a red blur that brushed past her and and landed on Minato. Kushina's glomp sent the chair moving back until it hit the wall. Minato laughed loudly and nodded his head when he saw Kurenai's unasked question on her face._

"_Meet your new Hokage until further notice." Minato explained with mirth dripping in his tone. Kushina blinked and stared at Minato like he was crazy._

"_What?" Minato looked at her with a smile before kissing her innocently. _

"_I'll tell you about it later." Minato whispered and with a bit of reluctance, Kushina nodded. He turned his attention to Kurenai who wore a calm expression. It was almost hard to see but Minato could see a bit of relief on her face. For what reason, he had no clue._

"_If there isn't anything else, Kurenai-"_

"_Actually," Kurenai interrupted. "I'd like to be in the search team." Minato smiled at seeing her dedication to her student._

"_I'm sorry Kurenai but you have to stay here. You have your other two students to think about." Kurenai stood unmoving for a moment before nodding._

"_You're right." Kushina watched this unfold and she desperately wanted to know what was going on. She stared at Minato but he was too busy looking at Kurenai. It was okay, though, she could wait._

"_You're dismissed." Kurenai nodded her head and left without another word. Minato sighed and rubbed his temples. He looked up at his wife after she coughed and he laughed sheepishly._

"_You've got some explaining to do."_

After explaining everything to Kushina, Minato had asked for some time alone. She asked him what he wanted for dinner and after getting his answer, she left. That was when Minato made a shadow clone to take care of the paperwork while he sneaked out and released some pent up aggression in a secret training ground.

Currently, he was surrounded by gouges in the ground of various sizes, broken down trees, and smoldering boulders. He was shirtless with black anbu pants and dots of sweat all over his body. He took in his environment and laughed; maybe Kushina was right, maybe he took training too seriously sometimes.

"I should probably get the team together." Minato said as he threw on his white shirt and disappeared in a flash of yellow.

**[*.*.*.*]**

It had been a day since Hinata had boldly asked Naruto on a date. Her right arm hung in a sling but other than that, she was allowed to wear and do what she wanted until Naruto and his team took her to Iwa. For what reason? She had no idea. Maybe it had something to do with Naruto insisting and whining that they shouldn't leave her there. Still, it scared her; if she entered Iwa, then there was little doubt in Hinata's mind that she'd barely be treated better than a POW. She shook her head, trying to forget that little fact for the moment and then moved on.

In the last twenty-four hours, Hinata and Naruto had gotten to know each other very well. They talked for hours on end, anything that would come to mind was spoken and it wasn't until two hours ago that they went their separate ways to get ready. Hinata placed a hand over her heart, feeling it thump against her chest.

Whenever she spoke with Naruto, he would make her feel special. It wasn't anything he was doing so much as just Hinata feeling special. He gave her all his attention, something not a lot of people did. Her heart would flutter and she would stutter more than usual. She normally wouldn't think much more of it if it weren't for the fact that she couldn't keep eye contact with him for too long before feeling like she was going to faint. Could she be developing feelings for the blond? It wasn't impossible but, was she? Should she?

Either way, Hinata had only a few minutes until she'd meet Naruto for ramen and she couldn't help but finger the hem on her sundress. It was lucky for her that she always brought money with her whenever she was out of her house. It was also lucky that her family was rather well-off.

With the money, she had enough to buy ramen to feed ten people and a little left for the sundress. It was a light blue dress with spaghetti straps and the end reached just under her knees. A blush stained her creamy cheeks and her lavender eyes stared at her open toed sandals that came free with the dress. As she did, her mind was plagued with the same thoughts:

_'What is wrong with me?'_

_'What's gotten into me?'_

_'Am I crazy?'_

...and...

_'Why does my heart have to beat so fast?'_

With these unanswered questions in her head, Hinata didn't even notice Naruto walk up behind her and tap her right shoulder. She jumped, flinched and turned to see Naruto's smile change into a look of worry at seeing Hinata's painful expression.

"Sorry." he apologized and Hinata smiled and shook her head, subduing the pain in her arm.

"I-It's okay." Naruto looked her up and down, finally noticing what she was wearing. She looked absolutely stunning. Hinata blushed when she found him studying her so intensely.

"Wow," was all Naruto managed to muster before blinking owlishly and looking away with a blush of his own. Hinata looked at him with a timid smile and she couldn't help but be happy with his reaction. On her way to the ramen restaurant, a lot of men made cat-calls and complimented her. She was used to it; being the heiress to a prestigious clan, she met a lot of men/suitors who complimented her on her beauty, so it wasn't so uncommon. But she couldn't find a real logical reason why she was blushing.

"Thank you." Hinata said with a cute smile, causing Naruto to adopt a smile of his own. He opened the door and motioned for her to walk ahead of him. She giggled and bowed before entering the restaurant with Naruto following behind. The place had at least ten tables scattered around the room with the counter at the far end of the room. The decor in the room was pleasing to the eyes without being too fancy. There were two other couples but they were off in their own little world. The two shinobi walked to a random table and Hinata sat down.

"I'm going to go order the ramen; what do you want?" Naruto asked and Hinata shook her head.

"I'm treating you to ramen, forget about me." Hinata told him. Naruto let out a happy laugh.

"I'd feel bad if I'm the only one who ate."

"I-It's okay." Hinata had to break eye contact just to say no. Naruto stared at her a while longer before he walked to the counter to order the ramen. Hinata let out a sigh, knowing that if he asked her again, she would've caved in.

He returned a couple of seconds later and sat in front of Hinata. They smiled at each other, awkward silence surrounding them. Both wanted something to say, anything at all, but nothing came to mind without sounding stupid. They each mentally thanked Kami when the brown haired waitress passed by and dropped off a cup of water with a straw for both of them. They thanked her and then returned to awkwardly staring at each other.

"So," Naruto drawled. Hinata's eyes brightened and a smile twitched on the corner of her mouth. "What's your name?"

"Oh, I'm sorry for my rudeness." Hinata bowed her head low enough that she almost tapped the top of the table She barely missed her cup of water. "My name is Hinata-" She stopped herself before she said Hyūga, wondering if Naruto would be as knowledgeable as his sensei. Before she could decide, Naruto accepted the answer and flashed a goofy smile.

"In a sunny place?" Hinata squeaked and nodded slowly. "I like it." Hinata's heart thumped against her chest but a smile still graced her lips. She wrapped two petite fingers around the straw and took a sip of the water.

"And you're Naruto," she said after swallowing the water. Naruto nodded. "Naruto of the Blazing Gale?" Hinata inquired with a raised eyebrow and amused expression. Naruto laughed sheepishly while he rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, it's better than just Naruto." Naruto joked and Hinata giggled and nodded.

"I suppose." Naruto barked a louder laugh. Hinata had felt the tension and awkwardness of the moment disappear as soon as Naruto spoke, but with his laugh, she felt her body relax. She hadn't felt so relax since before her training as an heiress began. The training wasn't always stressful, but this level of relaxation was alien to Hinata. It's like she can do or say anything and she wouldn't be judged for it.

"It's way better than Naruto of the Rocky Fox." Hinata laughed at this, prompting Naruto to laugh as well.

"Sounds like a movie." she said in between her fits of laughter. Naruto couldn't help but nod; in retrospect, he did kind of got the name from some old time move but its name escaped him at the moment.

Their laughter died down and before any other word could be uttered, the brunette came with a cart full of ramen. Hinata eyed the cart incredulously while Naruto eyeballed the ramen with stars in his eyes. Hinata hummed to herself as she frowned at the cart.

_'That's a lot of ramen.'_

_'Oooooooooooooooh ramen!' _Naruto thought happily.

"Ten miso ramen, three shrimp and one beef soup for you." The young brunette said as she pushed the cart towards Naruto before grabbing a seemingly random ramen off the cart and putting it in front of Hinata who blinked in surprise. "And one chicken for the young lady." The brunette smiled at Hinata before departing, leaving the two alone again.

"Why did you get me one? I'm not-" Her stomach growled and Hinata blushed again, darker than she had before. Naruto quirked an eyebrow at this. "Still, I'm trying to repay you for saving me." Hinata frowned and her brow furrowed. She gently pushed the bowl back with her free hand but Naruto stopped her with a hand of his own

"Then do it by eating with me. Please?" Naruto pleaded and Hinata hesitated, staring at him blankly before sighing and nodding. Naruto pushed it back in front of her and he grabbed a bowl of ramen and gobbled the entire thing. Hinata watched him eat savagely, feeling an odd mixture of fascination, awe and disgust, more so the first two than the latter. She snapped out of it when he let out a content sigh and went for seconds.

Hinata looked down at her bowl and used her chopsticks to move it around. She spaced out for what seemed like seconds before she felt something tapping her forehead. She blinked and looked up to see Naruto smiling childishly while using the top of his chopsticks to tap her forehead. Her face flushed when she saw seven empty bowls sitting besides his eighth half empty bowl.

"You okay?" he asked and she nodded. "Then dig in." Her eyes shifted to the left.

"Well..." she paused. "t-the thing is..." Hinata raised her right arm as high as she could without hurting herself. "I'm r-right handed." she finished shyly. Naruto blinked before blushing.

"So, do you... uh, need help?" Naruto watched Hinata change colors as quickly as a chameleon. She shook her head hastily.

"I-I-I-It's o-okay. Y-You don't h-h-have to." Naruto also had a blush.

"I mean, if you want..."

"You don't have to..."

"But, aren't you hungry?"

"N-" Hinata's stomach growled. She blushed.

"You are!" Hinata looked away, embarrassed.

"But you don't have to go out of your way for me..." Hinata stopped herself at that thought. "...again."

"It's okay, really." Naruto insisted but Hinata bit her bottom lip. "What if I made a clone? Would that be better?" Naruto asked. Hinata tilted her head to the left.

"A clone?"

"A Shadow Clone."

"A-Ano... I suppose." Hinata answered after thinking it over. Naruto summoned a clone which grabbed a chair and placed it next to Hinata. He sat down and after wordlessly getting permission to feed her, he fed her some ramen. The entire thing was awkward, for both of them, and Hinata was glad when she finished. Still, Hinata found some joy in the act and she saw that underneath the awkwardness, the clone had fun too. Well, fun in the sense that it wasn't awful. The clone then puffed out of existence after a polite farewell and Hinata waited patiently for Naruto to finish his last couple of ramen bowls.

"I'm sorry." Naruto said, looking down at his ramen.

"It's fine, you were just being nice." Hinata said with a bright smile.

"No, not that." Naruto looked up and Hinata could see remorse in his eyes. "I was trying to save you but you still got hurt." Hinata felt herself hold her breath as she stared into his blue eyes. He had so much emotion in them that they reminded Hinata of Minato's and her kaa-san's eyes. She was able to organize her thoughts and register what he said after he looked away.

"It's okay, Naruto. You at least tried. That's all I could ask for from a stranger." Hinata said, catching Naruto's eyes glancing at her. He looked like he wanted to say something but instead of words, a long loud burp came out of his mouth. He stayed silent, wishing he could take that moment back. Hinata looked at him with a smile and was about to say something else but something happened that made her want to die.

_She_ burped.

She covered her mouth and stared at Naruto with wide eyes. It wasn't as loud or as long as Naruto's but it was still heard by him and they locked eyes for a good minute. Finally, they both began to laugh. Well, Naruto laughed first, Hinata followed soon after. They laughed for a solid five minutes before they caught their breath and Naruto finished his ramen. But they didn't leave the restaurant right away, they stayed and began to talk. Their conversation ranged from their age, chakra affinity to fighting styles and weapon preference. Naruto had tried to ask where she was from but Hinata had managed to evade them without seeming too weird or obvious. Finally, they decided to leave, but there was a problem...

"A-Actually, I only had enough money for ten ramen bowls." Hinata said, obviously embarrassed and Naruto chuckled.

"It's okay, I'll pay for-" Naruto paled when he searched his person and couldn't find his wallet. He searched his memories to find where he left his wallet and his eyes widened before cursing under his breath.

"What is it?" Hinata asked and Naruto hung his head.

"When I sent those flaming tornadoes at the man, I also burned my backpack.. the backpack that my wallet was in." he looked up with a pout and Hinata couldn't help but giggle a little. The fact that he burned his wallet wasn't completely funny, it was more of the fact that he had a cute pout. Hinata stopped giggling long enough to see a mischievous glint spark in his azure eyes.

"What is it?" Naruto had a matching smile to go with his mischievous eyes.

"I've got an idea."

***.***

Kurotsuchi glared at the back of Hinata's head as she watched Naruto whisper something into Hinata's ear from behind a bush. She was grinding her teeth when she saw Hinata shake her head with a small smile. Naruto then backed up a little so she could see his adorable puppy eyes. Hinata looked away and it took another whisper from Naruto to make her giggle and nod with some reluctance.

That was when Naruto stood and left to the bathroom. Before he entered, he looked around and then made three shadow clone with a cloud of smoke covering the Narutos. Kurotsuchi raised an eyebrow at this. When it cleared, one of the Narutos entered the men's restroom while the other three entered the women's. Kurotsuchi was shocked by this, wondering what that... that perv was up to! The Naruto that entered the men's restroom finally came out and sat back down in front of Hinata with a smile and a wink. This time, Hinata stood and left for the women's restroom.

"That perv! What does he think he's doing? Look, she's going to the bathroom too!"Kurotsuchi growled, as mad as she's ever been. "What the hell are those perverts doing? Hm?" She noticed that the three Narutos who went to the women's room hadn't come back.

"Where the hell did those other Narutos go?" Kurotsuchi muttered under her breath.

"What are you talking about? I only see one Naruto and the cute girl." Kurotsuchi jumped, grabbed a kunai from her pouch, and turned only to see two curious looking Narutos. She relaxed her grip on her kunai and glared at the two blonds.

"I think she's talking about us, stupid." The second clone mocked, receiving a glare from his counterpart.

"You're me, baka." Kurotsuchi watched with slight amusement. However, what little amusement she had was soon dashed away when the conversation moved to the original's dinner date with Hinata. Kurotsuchi's left eyes twitched at the use of the word 'date'.

"It's not a date! It's a not-date!" Kurotsuchi declared and the two clones flinched.

"O-Okay." They stuttered simultaneously. Kurotsuchi sighed and leveled each clone with a cold stare. "What?" one clone asked.

"Why are you two here?" the two clones looked at each other and then at Kurotsuchi with a sheepish smile. "What?"

"We have an issue and..." The first clone said.

"We need your help." the second clone added.

"Tsk, why would I help you and _her._" the clones shared another look at the emphasis she put on Hinata.

"Because you love us?" the twin blonds gave her a cute pout and Kurotsuchi couldn't find it in her to say no while looking at them. So, she turned and replied,

"No." She almost said yes, good thing she turned in time.

"Come on, we'll pay you back." Kurotsuchi shook her head. The clone was about to continue until his partner in crime put his hand on his shoulder. He nodded and the first clone shrugged his shoulders.

"We'll owe you one." This caught Kurotsuchi's interest.

"I'm listening."

"Anything you can think of and we'll do it." The second clone said before being shoved back by the other clone.

"Within reason, of course." Kurotsuchi stared at the two with a passive look before sighing.

"Fine." the two clones smiled before the one on the left got sucker punched in the nose by Kurotsuchi. He winced and fell on his back before puffing into smoke. The surviving clone looked at the area where his clone brother had fallen and then at Kurotsuchi.

"That's for sneaking up on me." She said before walking to the restaurant. The clone just stared at Kurotsuchi's back before he disappeared as well.

***.***

Naruto smirked when his clone's memories came back and looked at Hinata. They winked at each other.

"She was outside, just like I thought." That didn't sit well with Hinata but she didn't voice it. Whatever Kurotsuchi was doing outside was her business, no matter how creepy it sounded from Hinata's point of view.

Seconds later, Kurotsuchi steps into the restaurant and walked directly towards their table.

"What do you want?" She asked and Naruto laughed embarrassingly.

"We don't have money to pay for the meal." Kurotsuchi raised an eyebrow. "So we'd be grateful if you helped." Kurotsuchi sighed and with a roll of her eyes, she took out her money and slammed it on the table. Having spied... er, observed the not-date.

"Baka." Kurotsuchi slammed her fist down on Naruto's head, expecting him to hit the table with a loud bang. Of course, this would've happened in the life of a normal kunoichi, of anyone in fact. Unfortunately, this kunoichi happens to know the unpredictable gale of a teen so normal doesn't really describe her life all that accurately. Obviously, fate has found her life too easy. Naruto puffed into smoke, leaving Kurotsuchi to stare in shock and Hinata giggling like crazy.

Kurotsuchi gathered her bearings and glared at Hinata only to see her disappear in a puff of smoke as well. She stared at the table in front of her incredulously, her mind empty of all thoughts except for one realization.

They ditched her.

She balled up her fist and began to grind her teeth. She should've thought of the fourth Naruto; how it slipped her mind, she had no idea. She scampered out the restaurant, off to look for Naruto and Hinata.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Hinata giggled alongside a laughing Naruto as they walked down the street, continually looking back to see if anyone was following them. Naruto donned a blank look before it cracked into a small smile and then a hearty laughter.

"It worked, she fell for it." Naruto said in between laughs and Hinata continued to giggle.

"I still feel bad, though. S-She was nice enough to pay." Hinata said, not really wanting to admit, and Naruto shook his head.

"If you want we could go back and apologize." Naruto laughed when he saw Hinata actually think it over. "Are you kidding? She'd kill us before we could even say one word."

"Still-"

"Come on, Hinata, it's okay." Naruto saw Hinata about to say something but he placed his hand over her mouth. "Okay, it looks like you're not going to let this go so, how about this..." Naruto trailed off when he couldn't think of anything. "If you drop this, we'll be even." Hinata raised an eyebrow.

"hmph nhu mehin?" she asked. Naruto didn't completely understand what she said but it sounded like 'what you mean?'.

"You forget what just happened and we'll be even. An eye for an eye, I guess." Hinata hummed to herself and nodded after some time. Naruto removed his hand. "Okay?"

"Okay." She said and Naruto smiled.

"Awesome." They continued to wander aimlessly, talking about anything that came up. Then, Naruto decided to be bold.

"I like your eyes." Hinata blinked and a fierce blush came that put all her previous blushes to shame. This was one compliment she wasn't used to. Everyone would compliment on her hair, her body, clothes and everything else except for her eyes. Her friends had once before but Hinata knew it wasn't as sincere as it could've been.

"Y-You do?" She stuttered and Naruto nodded his head. He then turned his head forward, tilted it back and stared at the night sky.

"They're unique. Never really seen anything like that before. Well," he hummed to himself with a frown. Hinata began to sweat, getting the feeling that he does know about the Hyūga's trademark eyes. "they look familiar but I don't think I've ever seen them in person." he shrugged and his smile returned. "Even if I've seen something like them, they're still pretty." Hinata blushed again.

"T-They a-a-are?" Naruto nodded his head without hesitation. He then blushed.

"You are too." Hinata gulped, obviously not expecting that.

"Y-You think so?" Her brain was pounding against her skull, so hard that she was having trouble listening. Naruto looked at her from the corner of his eye and then back at the sky.

"I do." he answered, his voice not as loud as it could be.

"O-Oh." Hinata couldn't think of anything else to say. She wanted to return the compliment but her brain couldn't come up with anything. It was still trying to comprehend the fact that the Yondaime's son was flirting with her. Very bluntly, yes, but flirting nonetheless. Maybe if she doesn't mess this up, she could somehow convince him that he is the missing son of the Yondaime and that he's really from Konoha and not Iwa.

How hard could that be?

"Hinata-chan?" Naruto waved his right hand in front of her, causing her to blink and then look at him. "Earth to Hinata-chan!" Hinata continued to stare at Naruto with a blank look and a blush. "You okay?"

"You called me 'Hinata-chan'." This time, Naruto blinked and blushed. He looked away.

"Did I? I didn't notice." Hinata smiled and giggled.

"It's okay... I... I actually like it." She walked off, waiting for Naruto to snap out of his delusion and catch up to her. When he did, he stood closer to her and was smiling.

"So,"

"So," Hinata mimicked.

"Where are you from?" Hinata faked a thoughtful expression but inwardly, she was freaking out. "And don't try to change the subject." she looked at him incredulous and Naruto let out a chuckle. "You're not as sly as you think."

"I see." she replied and continued to walk silently.

"So?" Hinata bit her bottom lip and looked at her feet. "Come on, why won't-"

"Can I ask you a question?" Hinata surprised him by interrupting him.

"Huh? Uhm, sure?"

"Why do you want to know so badly?" Naruto smiled, his answer already known.

"Because when we go back to Iwa, we're going to send a message to your home village and then we'll escort you back." Naruto replied. Hinata noticed that the last part was said with less enthusiasm but decided not to bring it up. "So, where are you from?"

Hinata was reaching the end of her rope and she was getting desperate. The only things her mind could muster up was the things she's seen in the old romantic movies she watched with her mother. So, as a kunoichi of the Hidden Leaf, Hinata did what she did best; being a kunoichi. Just, not in the way she normally would.

"...do you like me?" she asked, catching the unsuspecting Naruto off guard.

"Huh?"

"Do you like me?" she repeated. Naruto stopped walking to stare at her but Hinata took a few steps forward before stopping.

"I just... I mean you..."

"Yes or no?" She refused to look at him, she didn't want to ruin her confidence. Naruto just gazed at the back of her head, his brain racking over this question.

"Well, I've never met anyone like you. And you are pretty." Naruto said with a blush and a sheepish rub to the back of his head. "And you're funny, and smart, and you seem to get me." He continued but stopped afterward to think of something.

"I like you." Hinata proclaimed boldly. She had her eyes shut and her expression passive. It felt like her heart wanted to jump out of her chest and just make a run for it. She wasn't sure what had gotten into her the last couple of days but whatever it was, it was going to be the death of her. Or at least, it'd get her in serious trouble.

"Y-You do?" Hinata finally decided to face him and saw that he was beyond shocked with a blush on his cheeks. His blue eyes seemed to be pleading for the truth. Not for what he wanted to hear but the honest-to-kami truth. Hinata felt like she could drown in his beautiful azure pools and she could feel her grip on consciousness start to loosen. She took a step back and would've fallen if it wasn't for Naruto. He supported her back with his left arm and used his right hand to grab her left hand.

"Are you okay?" Hinata nodded dumbly and Naruto smiled. He righted her and took a shy step back.

"I'm sorry, w-what were we talking about?" She asked and a new blush stained Naruto's whiskered cheeks.

"That... Well, you said you like me." Hinata blushed as well, though much darker than his.

"Well, I-I do." There was just something about Naruto that Hinata just couldn't resist. He had his father's charisma and damn it, the man was the most charismatic person she knew..

"I like you, too." Naruto confessed and Hinata could feel herself regretting the conversation. She wasn't lying, she really did like him. He was funny, he always knew how to make her laugh and he always smiled. He was open minded and didn't mind speaking his thoughts, but he also knew how to keep it to himself sometimes. He was smart, clever, mischievous and a gentleman. There were more traits but bringing it up in a conversation to avoid another made her feel horrible. She felt like she was messing with his feelings.

_'Maybe I should just tell him where I'm from. I shouldn't play with his emotions like I am. But am I really? It's not like I lied. I do like him, I genuinely do but,'_ Hinata bit her bottom lip. _'Would he still like me if he knew I'm from Konoha? Considering that he's from Iwa, I doubt it.' _ This thought depressed Hinata and she looked down. _'I should tell him. Whether he likes me after isn't important. He deserves to know...'_

"Naruto, I-" Hinata was interrupted by a pair of lips placing themselves on top of hers. Her eyes widened but they soon relaxed as she let her body free from her mind's control. She kissed him back. Even though it was sloppy, Hinata and Naruto couldn't have cared less. It was a first kiss for both of them and they liked the feeling it gave them. When they finally parted, Hinata had her eyes half closed, her eyes glassy with her mouth slightly ajar. Naruto was sporting a goofy grin as he stared at Hinata.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself." He said and Hinata smiled absentmindedly. She hugged him and he snaked his arms around her waist. She snuggled against his chest and he chuckled. "So, what were you going to say?" Hinata snapped out of her trance.

"Hm?"

"You were saying something?" Hinata then remembered what she was about to do before the heavenly kiss.

"Oh... it's nothing." she answered after some hesitation. She could wait to tell him she's from Konoha, when she wasn't so comfortable. Naruto just shrugged it off and continued to hold her, feeling a sense of peace in his heart.

"We should probably go. It's getting late." He said after some time had passed. Hinata reluctantly nodded and they headed for the hotel. Hinata hesitated to hold his hand but she didn't need to worry because Naruto reached for her hand and held it in his. They gave each other a kind smile before Hinata laid her head on his right shoulder.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Kurotsuchi slumped up to her room in the hotel, depressed that Naruto had manged to give her the slip. She stood in front of her room, just staring at it sadly, wishing it open instead of having to open it herself. She sighed and was about to open it with her card when she saw Deidara walking down the hall in her direction. He wasn't so much walking as much as trying to move forward without falling flat on his face.

"Deidara-sensei? What are you doing out?" She asked and Deidara gave her a drunken smile.

"Kurotsuchi! I'm so glad I found you. You have no idea how many floors I've tried before I found this one." If it wasn't for his manner of walking, his stance and the glassy look in his eyes, Kurotsuchi would've never guess he was drunk. He didn't even slur, which seemed odd to Kurotsuchi since she'd never met a drunk who didn't slur.

"Are you okay?" Kurotsuchi asked and Deidara nodded.

"Fine and dandy." he answered nonchalantly.

"Why are you drunk off your ass?" she asked and Deidara laughed.

"I'm not drunk, I'm just buzzed." Kurotsuchi sweat dropped.

"Like that's any better." she mumbled.

"Where's Naruto?" Deidara asked, looking around the hallway.

"Still out." She grumbled. Deidara propped himself against the wall and slowly slid down as he laughed.

"With the Konoha chick?" Kurotsuchi stared at her sensei like he was crazy.

"Can you repeat that?" Deidara motioned his hand like he was swatting a fly.

"Pff. It's ironic, don'tcha tink?" he drawled before blinking owlishly and then laughing again. "I said 'tink', oops."

"Deidara-sensei, focus! What did you say?"

"I said 'tink'."

"No, before that."

"...that it's ironic?" Kurotsuchi felt her patience start to slip.

"Okay, what's ironic?" Deidara let out a laugh.

"Naruto's out there, getting treated to ramen by that girl." he answered.

"Why's that ironic?" she was hoping that she hadn't misheard him. If she didn't then she could use this to make Naruto hate Hinata until the end of time.

"Are you deaf? I said because she's from Konoha." he taunted with a dumb look.

"Man, you're a mean drunk." Kurotsuchi observed. Deidara put his right index finger over his lips.

"Shh! Don't tell anyone, especially Naruto." At this, Kurotsuchi smiled evilly.

"Oh, we'll see." Kurotsuchi opened the door to her room and shut it behind her, beginning to plot against Hinata. Outside her room, Deidara looked around and scratched the back of his head.

"What's going on?" He stood up and began to wander the halls, trying his luck at finding his room.

* * *

**See what I mean by not taking the scene at face-value...?**

**Some who don't like a fem Kyubi or good Kyubi, well, I don't want to spoil anything but in the words of the nine-tailed furball "Not everything is as it seems."**

**Give it a shot, ride out the storm and be patient with me, hopefully, what I got up my sleeve will make it worth it...**

**As for the Naruhina moment... Haha yea, now you know the pairing.. Get over it, you should've seen it coming... But how long will the happiness last now that Kurotsuchi knows hinata's origins?**

**Guess we'll find out later... er, you will, I already know ^^**

**Anything else?...**

**...**

**I guess nothing else...**

**Till next time...**

**Next Chapter: Off to Iwa We Go...**

**********Good luck with whatever and if you got a problem with me or one of my stories, please feel free to: Deal with it, Get over it or Choke on it...**


	6. What's Been Said Has Been Said

**Hello to those still following this story and/or me...**

**I know its been a long time since i post for... well, actually, every story...**

**Being a senior in high school has its downsides... Sigh, i'm at the trough of my hill...**

**Either way, i hope you enjoy the chapter...**

**I'm sorry...**

**Chapter 6: What's been said has been said...**

**I own nothing...**

* * *

Minato rounded the corner and stalked up the steps that led into the second floor of the apartment complex. He walked past two doors before stopping in front of the third. He raised his hand to knock but was stopped by the sounds of struggling and then silence. It didn't last long though, as the sound of glass shattering was heard and Minato donned a serious expression. Muffled voices began to speak and one was his student. The other sounded familiar but the name and face escaped him. It was then that Minato noticed that door's frame was bent inward, as if someone had previously forced their way into the room.

More sounds of struggle ensued and Minato burst into the door, expecting to find Kakashi fighting an intruder or something. He sweat dropped at the sight before him.

His other student, Obito Uchiha, smiled a happy, yet drunken smile while he sat on the back of one Kakashi Hatake. Kakashi was struggling, of course, but whatever was pumping in his blood system was seriously affecting his agility, strength and intelligence. Or maybe he just didn't try all that hard. Regardless…

"What the hell?" The question hung in the air as his two students stared at him, at first with blank expressions before Obito smiled cheekily and Kakashi's struggles increased ten-fold. He finally found leverage in the form of Obito's left leg. He pulled on it and shifted his lower back up, to throw Obito forward and make him fall flat on his face. Once on his feet, Kakashi sloppily saluted his sensei and surrogate father.

In spite of the throbbing pain in his face, Obito still found the strength to laugh and smile with a carefree demeanor.

"Yooooo sensei!" Obito cheerfully called out and Kakashi sighed, his mask covering the buzzed blush that stained his cheeks.

Through this whole ordeal, Minato stayed relatively quiet. He moved inside and closed the door behind him. His eyes continually moved from Kakashi to Obito, taking in every detail. His expression was passive but inside, Minato felt confusion and yet inner joy.

Finally, a smiled graced his lips and he hugged Obito.

"Obito, it's been so long," Obito stood about two inches taller than Minato, his hair exactly the same as it was years ago. In fact, everything besides a few choice articles of clothing and color scheme remained the same. He changed it from blue and orange to black and red. He also wore a blood red scarf. It never seemed to leave his neck; wherever he was, that scarf would always rest on his neck. The reason behind it was his own but Minato and Kakashi both knew why.

"It's good to see you, too, sensei. Oh, and if I haven't thanked you for sending me off to a year-long mission to be Konoha's temporary ambassador for Kiri, let me do that now," he cleared his throat to add to the sarcasm. "Thanks."

"It was a pleasure." Minato retaliated before getting a good look at Obito. He then remembered why he came to Kakashi's apartment. "I was counting on your mission to end around this time. I need you," He turned and cast his gaze on the lazy scarecrow. "And you to help me find my goddaughter." Both set of eyes widened at this.

"How long ago was this?" Kakashi asked, beating Obito to the punch.

"Not long ago. A little over three days ago." He told them and they both nodded smartly.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Obito asked as he cracked his knuckles. "Let's get this started."

Minato shook his head at Obito's eagerness. "Meet me at the front gates in less than half an hour. That should be enough time for the both of you to get your things and to get something to eat before we leave."

"Hai." The two students chorused and Minato moved to leave before stopping and facing his students again.

"Do… I want to know what was going on before I arrived?" The question seemed reluctant to be asked but once it was, Kakashi groaned into his palm and Obito chuckled sheepishly. Both simultaneously shook their head.

Minato sighed and turned to leave. "Okay, just checking."

Thirty minutes seemed to pass like seconds and soon enough, Minato found three fourths of his team in attendance.

Obito, after a few minutes of waiting, became restless. "Why haven't we left yet?"

"We still need to wait for one more…" He trailed off as he saw a silhouette come walking towards them. Because of the fog that crept over Konoha, the three shinobi couldn't make out who exactly was walking towards them until he was within ten feet of the trio. When the silhouette came under the street lamp, Minato was surprised.

"Hokage-sama," Hiashi bowed his head at Minato with as much respect as he could muster. Hiashi rose and amusement colored his eyes. "Is something the matter, Hokage-sama?"

"I was sort of expecting a Hyūga and…"

"Am I not a Hyūga?" Minato shook his head furiously.

"It's not that but when I sent that message, I assumed you'd be too busy to go on the search so you'd send a Branch Member to accompany me."

Hiashi raised an eyebrow. "The same can be said for you, Hokage-sama. Running this village is a heavy burden to carry. I am quite surprised you have found the time to do this mission at all."

"I found a temporary substitute." Minato answered calmly.

"As did I." Hiashi responded and Minato smiled faintly. Obito and Kakashi watched the interaction quietly, and, surprisingly, it was Kakashi that interrupted it.

"Come on, we should probably start this search before any remaining leads become any colder." Minato and Hiashi nodded and they faced the gates before sprinting down the dirt road.

'_Please hold on Hinata,_ Hiashi thought in mid-run, his features becoming as hard as stone. _I'll come get you. I won't lose you, either.'_

[*.*.*.*]

"No way!"

"It's true."

"Naruto's not going to like this." Daichi said as he rubbed the remaining sleep out of his eyes.

He was in the middle of the best sleep he'd gotten in a long time and the dream wasn't so bad either. Oh, how he hated seeing Kurotsuchi in his room now, she was always bad news one way or another. However, his thoughts of sleep disappeared when the first statement she made was about Hinata and Konoha.

"I know! Isn't it great?" she squealed with a smirk. Daichi, however, felt differently.

"Naruto seems really fond of this girl," Daichi reminded her. "He might get all depressing if he finds out." he shook his head. "Emo Naruto is not a good thing." Kurotsuchi just scoffed.

"He'll be fine, he's got me," Daichi gave her a look and she sweat dropped. "Er, you too... I guess."

"That's not what I meant." Daichi fell on his bed and looked up at the ceiling. "Why do you go after him so feverishly?" she blushed and glared at the nonchalant brown haired boy.

"W-What do you mean?" she heard him sigh but he remained motionless.

"It's obvious to everyone but the brainless killing machine that you have a crush on him." Kurotsuchi's face lit up like the sky after fireworks, half from embarrassment, half from rage. "The only problem is, you keep going after him even though he's unconsciously rejected you."

"No he hasn't!" she yelled, making Daichi flinch. He sat up and stared at Kurotsuchi dead in the eyes, gray eyes focused on pink.

"I'm going to say this with as much respect and sympathy as I can," Kurotsuchi noticed that his eyes flickered from care to some unreadable emotion before they returned to sympathy. "Naruto doesn't like you the same way you like him." It came out kind of harsh, there was a biting tone to it but Daichi couldn't help it. Just telling her this brought back old emotions and memories, ones he wished he could do away with forever. However, she needed to hear this. She needed to wake up and face the facts, not brush them aside like a kid in denial.

"What makes you say that?" Daichi felt a vein about to pop. He took in a deep breath and let it out through his nose. He followed it up with a shake of his head and gently pushing her out of his room. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm done. Good night." Kurotsuchi was outside his room at this point and turned to face her teammate who had droopy, sad eyes. "See ya in the morning." The door slammed in her face and silence ensued. Kurotsuchi just stared at the door for a while longer before clicking her teeth and walking away.

Daichi just laid his back against the door and slid down until he touched the ground.

"Damn it Kurotsuchi," he put a hand over his racing heart. "Now I won't be able to get _her_ off my mind for a week. Perfect," he added flatly before he sighed and went straight for bed. Let the cat-and-mouse game with sleep begin...

[*.*.*.*]

"I still think I can beat you in a spar." Hinata joked with a mock-passive face. Naruto chuckled and let his hands rest behind his head. They originally planned on going to bed, in their respective rooms, but they happened to have crossed paths with a supposed psychic. The lady looked crazy to Naruto and he had no problem sharing this little piece of information with Hinata who just giggled. The phony blabbered on about a blue cat and some kind of slug fighting some kind of furball.

Afterward, they found a little clearing with a water fountain and a small park. Usually reserved for little kids, a couple about two years Naruto's and Hinata's senior played on the swings. The boy, somewhat taller than Naruto, was pushing the girl while she laughed. Instead of going straight for the empty seat next to the happy couple, the two made their way towards the fountain and sat on its borders, where their conversation picked up.

"I don't know. One view of my awesome skills and you'll be thinking twice before asking for a spar." Naruto barked proudly. Hinata donned a thoughtful expression and then nodded with conviction.

"Maybe you're right, I wouldn't stand a chance against a big, strong man like you." She batted her eyelashes and leaned forward. Naruto blinked and moved back, watching as Hinata gave him a fake sad and worried look. "Please save me." Her chin almost touched his but he slid away, his blush as red as blood. However, Hinata was hot on his trail. Her expression changed to a coy one as she followed after him.

"I'm just a helpless damsel in distress. Won't you help me?" Naruto gulped and continued to move back, slowly inching away from Hinata, his libido wanting him to go the opposite way. He and his libido have never really seen eye to eye. Hinata seductively placed her right index finger over her lip and pouted. "W-What's wrong?" The soft, lulling voice sent Naruto over the edge...

Literally...

He fell back into the water; the cold, COLD water. In less than a second, he burst from the water, shaking and yelling as he made his way out of the water. He saw Hinata with her back turned and her shoulders shaking.

"Hinata? Are you-" he walked up to her and was interrupted when she turned and had a brilliant smile on her face while she giggled. Naruto stared at her oddly for only a second before he frowned. Hinata composed herself and then noticed his expression.

"I-I'm sorry." she apologized. Then she saw his eyes shine with what she now confirmed as mischief. She took a step back and a small amount of fear crept into her when he smiled a little too sweetly.

"You like to laugh I see." Hinata nodded hesitantly while Naruto took a step forward. "It just so happens, I love to make people laugh." Naruto sprang into action as he brought his fingers onto Hinata's sides and started to tickle her. The response was instantaneous as she let out a giggle from surprise before bursting out laughing.

"N-N-No, s-stop! PLEASE!" She shouted with glee but Naruto only laughed with her and continued his tickle attack. In midst of her laughter, she lost her footing and fell back. Naruto caught her before she fell. Hinata's fit of laughter died down, which was when she noticed how close she was to Naruto. She felt her body being pressed against his so closely, feeling his strong hands hold her intimately. They stared into each other's eyes for the longest time. To Naruto, it felt like looking into the reflection of two lavender moons in two white pools. Beautiful and unique in every way. To Hinata, she was looking into the glacial blue eyes of a god.

The two continued to stare into each other's eyes, vaguely noticing that they were getting closer. "Naruto!" Naruto and Hinata blinked at the mention of his name and looked up to see Kurotsuchi running towards them. Naruto groaned, sweeping his face with his right hand.

Hinata only eyed the girl warily, getting the feeling that whatever Kurotsuchi wanted wasn't good news for her. Kurotsuchi smiled sweetly at Hinata, a little _too_ sweetly.

"Hello Hinata," she didn't allow either of the two to reply as Kurotsuchi latched on to Hinata and dragged her away from Naruto. "Don't worry, just girl talk." She said in a hurry. When they were far enough that Naruto couldn't eavesdrop on their conversation, Kurotsuchi's smile remained but her eyes became shaded with trouble.

"You almost got away with it," Hinata raised an eyebrow. "You didn't think I knew where you're really from?" at this, Kurotsuchi was please with Hinata's shocked expression.

"Y-You… You're bluffing." Hinata stuttered and Kurotsuchi's smirk widened, feeling her hold on Hinata tighten.

"Oh am I? Maybe you're right," Kurotsuchi shrugged. "But are you willing to take that chance?" Their eyes connected and Hinata saw the confidence in her eyes, knowing that she wasn't bluffing. It didn't take long for fear to show up in Hinata's eyes and Kurotsuchi knew now that Hinata was now firmly in her palm. "Thought so."

Kurotsuchi moved her eyes to Naruto. "You think he'd still like you if he knew?" The question seemed earnest enough but Kurotsuchi walked off, not letting Hinata answer her. She was stopped by Hinata's hand that was able to grasp her elbow.

"Wait."

"What?" Kurotsuchi asked, irritation coloring her tone.

"Don't tell him, please," Hinata begged as she tried to keep her voice calm. "I… I'll tell him." It seemed to hurt Hinata to say that. This somewhat pleased Kurotsuchi… but not enough.

"You had your chance to tell him." She ripped her elbow from Hinata's grasp and walked towards Naruto. Hinata bit her lip and closed her eyes.

"Let's make a deal," This stopped Kurotsuchi in her tracks. "You seem really fond of him. And you seem to know him pretty well," Hinata paused, watching Kurotsuchi's body language carefully. Hinata smiled. She got her attention. "But how well do you know him?"

Kurotsuchi turned and faced Hinata with doubt in her pink eyes. "You met him about three days ago," The words were dripping with venom as each was spoken slowly. "I've known him since we were kids. What could you know that I don't?"

"…when Naruto was a small child, he had a small toy that made his worst fears disappear. Do you know its name?" the question seemed unexpected and Hinata couldn't help but smile at Kurotsuchi's surprised expression. "I see… you didn't even know it existed."

"How do I know you're not lying?" The tables have turned and Hinata could see openings, opportunities. She would've felt worse about this if Kurotsuchi wasn't already a crazy fangirl but the feeling of guilt still plagued Hinata's conscience.

"Can you risk it?" Hinata countered quickly. Kurotsuchi tried to search for deceit in Hinata's eyes but nothing but confidence shone in her eyes. Hinata brushed a stray hair behind her ear, her movements calm yet cautious.

"…fine. I won't tell Naruto about you and you give me the information. HOWEVER," Hinata frowned at Kurotsuchi's last words. "You need to tell him yourself."

"But…"

"You know it's the right thing to do." Kurotsuchi interrupted. Hinata's mouth hung open before closing and nodded her head. "Now, spill it."

**[*.*.*.*]**

A man with dark eyes glared from his position up a tree at the blond bundle of hair standing a few feet away. His target remained off to the side with a random ninja, speaking in a hushed tone too low for him to pick up from a distance.

His eyes narrowed at the blond who had his gaze fixed on his target. The man clenched his fist open and closed repeatedly as his fury bubbled inside him. He could feel a growl vibrating in his throat.

"Oh, you're a feisty one," the man didn't hesitate as he jumped and landed behind the person who had just spoken from behind him. He wrapped the figure in a head lock with his left arm while taking out a kunai and shifting it to point at the figure's neck. The figure purred lustfully. "Very feisty."

The man raised an eyebrow as the figure turned out to be a woman with blue hair. She let a soft, almost orgasmic moan as she cuddled with the man's arm. "I love 'em feisty."

The man lowered his head so that his lips were near the woman's left ear. "What the hell do you want?"

"Ooooh, stop it, you tease," the woman mewed as her body shivered.

"Tch, pervert." The comment made the blue haired woman giggle and he felt one of the woman's delicate hands wrap itself on the hand holding the kunai. He was about to threaten her but it seemed she beat him to it as she slowly applied pressure to it.

"Make me bleed. Nyu, let the fresh scent of blood fill me," the man quickly pushed the woman forward in mid-jump so he could land on a branch away from the woman. This earned a groan from her as she turned to face the man.

She pouted at the distance he put between them. "You're no fun."

"Who the hell are you?" The question made the woman perk up and she giggled like a child.

"That boy seems to be giving you a hard time," she said, ignoring the man's question. The man snarled.

"What's it to you?"

The woman winked at the man before she tossed something at him. He caught it without flinching and looked at it. In his palm lay a small stone in the shape of a spiraling cone, reminding the man of a drill. A picture was painted with a neon green color on the flat end of the cone; it resembled a cat. A line the same color of the cat spun down towards the tip of the stone.

The man looked at the haematophiliac in wonder and distrust. "What is this?"

"A talisman," she purred and in the blink of an eye, she hugged the man. The man tensed as he felt something sharp touch his left earlobe. "If you want to beat the blond, you'll need this."

"I can beat the brat without it." Another purr made a chill run down the man's spine.

"Ah, but can you do it _and_ take the girl before reinforcements arrive?" The question hung in the air unanswered, the man too distracted by the woman's breath on his ear. He felt her petite and soft hand close his hand on the talisman. "Inject the talisman into your chest… when the time comes."

The man flinched when the woman bit down on his earlobe, penetrating the skin and drawing blood. She licked it and her body shook with ecstasy.

"How do I know this won't kill me?" The blue-haired woman pulled back to face the man.

"You don't," she fell back, off the branch, heading for solid ground. The man looked down but didn't see the woman; he didn't even hear her hit the ground. She just disappeared; as if she had been a figment of his imagination.

He shook his head. "Crazy bitch."

No matter what his opinion of this woman was, he had to admit, she was offering him power and he wasn't one to refuse some power. He opened his palm and fingered the talisman. He could feel power within his grasp. The power felt good, just by holding the talisman in his hand the man could tell it held more power than ten jonin. Maybe even more than six Kages.

He pocketed the talisman and watched as his target and prey talked for several minutes before they parted ways. He eyed the two as they drifted away and saw that both were easy targets at the moment. In a single movement, both could cease being a thorn in his side.

Maybe it was the power of the talisman influencing him, maybe he had gone insane. Either way, he smiled as he watched them disappear from sight. He sat there for a long moment, staring at nothing as he prepared himself for action. He had given his target about a minute head start before he made his move.

After all, what sort of predator would he be if he didn't give his prey a head start? Where would the fun be in a short game of cat-and-mouse?

**[*.*.*.*]**

Naruto watched the two girls talk amongst themselves. It would be easy for him to hear their conversation, even with the gap between them. But he decided to respect their privacy and settled for just reading their body language. The moment he saw Hinata's body tense and Kurotsuchi's become relaxed, he had to fight to keep himself from eavesdropping. When the two girls switched roles, Naruto knew the only way he could resist the temptation was to distract himself with something else. He stared at his shoes for a good minute or two before sighing.

He turned and faced the fountain that reflected the moon's beautiful image, though somewhat less graceful. His cerulean eyes shifted upward and connected with golden, feline eyes. A purr reached his ears and he took a step back as he was face-to-face with Neko. Her smile revealed her fangs and her tongue hung over them.

Naruto's left fist tightened and his right hand shot up to grab her but in the blink of an eye, she was gone. Naruto blinked, out of confusion and also to entertain his stupidity by seeing if she'd return as quickly as she'd left. When she didn't, Naruto shook and rubbed his head. He sat down on the edge of the fountain, careful not to fall in again.

He closed his eyes for a moment and a second later, he found Hinata standing in front of him, a smile cast on her face. Naruto's smile faltered as he noticed that Hinata seemed to be more reserved. Careful. Sad.

"What's wrong?" The question was asked before Naruto could even think twice. "What did Kurotsuchi do this time?"

Hinata let out a small giggle before shaking her head. "Nothing."

Naruto was tempted to hold her delicate hands in his, play with them while simultaneously sending the message that he was here for her. However, he stopped himself and settled with staring at her, patiently waiting for her to speak again.

Hinata noticed his staring and made a weak attempt at smiling happily. Inside though, Hinata knew whatever happiness she had was dashed, knowing that when she finally told Naruto that she was from Konoha, everything would get hectic. On second thought, considering that he is Kushina Uzumaki's child, everything would go to hell really fast.

Hinata gulped.

"Okay, Hinata-chan, what's bothering you?" Hinata steeled herself. She knew there was no avoiding it. She needed to tell him, he needed to know. If nothing else, she owed him that much. So, she looked into Naruto's eyes and let her mouth talk on its own accord.

"I… well, actually you…" She continued to babble on, starting sentences but never completing them, only to start on a new one and never end it. Naruto was confused within seconds and grabbed her shoulders with a gentle touch. Hinata stopped sputtering and was silenced by Naruto's actions.

"Take deep breaths," he instructed. "And calm down."

Hinata nodded and followed his instructions. Finally, after her fear diminished a little, she stared at Naruto.

"I'm afraid." The first coherent sentence threw Naruto through a loop. Afraid? What was there to be afraid of?

"Of what?"

"I need to tell you something… and I'm afraid you'll hate me for it." Hinata said and Naruto couldn't help but laugh a little. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his head stood on end. It was odd since that didn't happen too much but he pushed it to the back of his mind.

"Oh come on, Hinata-chan. I can be a bit of a hot-head sometimes but I'm not judgmental. Go on, tell me." He assured her and Hinata nodded, though a bit hesitantly.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata paused. "Do you trust me?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow but nodded nonetheless.

"Good. I just wanted to make sure." She sighed and stared directly into his eyes. "The reason I didn't tell you of my origin is because… is because I know how much you hate Konoha."

"What does that…" Something clicked in Naruto's mind and he stared at Hinata incredulously. Finally, as if actually seeing her for the first time, Naruto managed to connect Hinata with the Hyūga clan. Those eyes, they were the Hyūga clan's trademark characteristic. The only difference is that Hinata's was a little more lavender than white.

What a fool he was. How could he forget all the things he'd learned of Konoha? How to tell when faced with a Konoha nin if their forehead protector was off. Well, that last one was pretty tricky to do, no matter how well-trained someone was.

Naruto was busy berating himself for being such a fool, such an idiot, to be taken in so easily, so much so in fact that he didn't even notice Hinata was standing in front of him, trembling from head to toe. She had seen the look of anger in his eyes and, thinking it was directed at her, was terrified of it. She felt sure, somehow, that if she didn't do something, she was going to lose him. Hinata was self-aware enough to know she had at the very least developed a crush on this young man.

So it was that Hinata, in sheer desperation, acted. She leapt at Naruto, who was sitting on the edge of the fountain, wrapped her arms around his neck, and began sobbing into his shoulder, her fear overwhelming her.

Not for the first time, Naruto cursed his chivalrous nature, but he knew he couldn't ignore a crying woman for long. He tried, in this case, but oddly, in spite of her revelation, he didn't want to push Hinata away. After fighting with himself for another moment, he slowly wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her. He consciously put his own concerns aside, deciding to deal with that once his chivalry was satisfied. In other words, he'd worry about himself once Hinata had calmed down. He groaned at himself, but he knew he'd always put others before himself.

Naruto continued to hold her, pushing the enjoyment of holding her in his arms to the back of his head. Finally, her sobbing turned to cute sniffles, or at least in Naruto's mind they were cute. He slowly pushed her back so he could stare at her face. Her eyes were pink from her sobs and there was a slight blush on her cheeks. A pang of guilt hit Naruto and he suddenly wished he had run off… or at least that his chivalrous ways never existed.

Naruto lifted Hinata's head with a hand under her chin and stared into her eyes.

"I'm… I'm sorry." Her voice was sad and soft, with her hesitation making most, if not all, of Naruto's anger disappear. "I… I-I know I should've told you earlier but…" she trailed off, her voice failing her as a few silent tears fell from her eyes.

Her eyes widened when Naruto closed the gap between them and enveloped her in a tight hug. She was confused. Shouldn't he be mad? If anything, she was expecting him to shove her off and walk away, without looking back.

Hinata fought back new tears as she put her hands on his back and gripped his shirt with her balled up fists. They remained that way for a long time. To them, it felt like an eternity passed but neither aged a day.

Naruto, while a bit reluctant, pulled back from the hug and sighed. His eyes remained closed but Hinata waited patiently for him to speak. His eyes slowly opened, crystallized orbs of azure hues focused on her lavender moons.

She could see the anger he had inside him, the fire powered by his will. However, the anger was being held back. The pent up rage in him was being held back by an emotion that brought a pang of guilt to Hinata's heart. Betrayal kept his anger at bay. It was all Hinata could do to stop from crying again.

"I need some time alone, Hinata," his voice sent a chill down Hinata's spine. He was so formal and passive, very different from the Naruto that had saved her, from the one that took her out on a date. Hinata couldn't blame him though. The fact that he was speaking so calmly sort of spooked Hinata. He acted much like his mother most of the time and if this was true, then he must've been really upset. Kushina only spoke so calmly after being upset when it really bothered her… so she would vent with a little _training_.

Maybe Naruto would be like his father in this instance? Whenever Minato was upset…

Oh hell, both his parents _trained_ whenever they were upset.

"O-Oh… okay," Hinata took a step back and Naruto and Hinata just stared at each other. Naruto's mouth twitched multiple times, as if to say something but instead, he shook his head and waved to Hinata. Hinata placed her hands over her chest and held them together. She watched him leave for another second before parting ways as well. Feeling sure he was out of hearing range, Hinata said quietly, "Oh, Naruto... I wish your parents were here, they'd know what to do…"

Naruto stopped, his body stiffening. _'__My parents?__'_ he thought. _'__What in the world did she mean by that?__'_ Deciding not to bother about that at the moment, what with everything else on his mind, he kept walking away, never noticing he was being watched by a pair of predatory black eyes from a tree nearby.

* * *

**How was it?**

**I know I've probably confused a lot of people with the Obito thing... I promise to explain it later, but it'll either be Kakashi, Minato or Obito hhimself who'll explain what happened...**

**Let me know what you think in a review, i always love to improve and its your opinions that help me improve...**

**It seems like Neko has something up her sleeve... wonder what's going on in her mind...**

**Guess we'll see...**

**Looks like Naruto needs some time to think... What'll his response be to Hinata's words?**

**And what will the kidnapper do? Go after Hinata or Naruto?**

**Find out... Later...**

**Till next time...**

**Good luck with whatever and if you got a problem with me or one of my stories, please feel free to: Deal with it, Get over it or Choke on it...**


	7. On the Move

**All right, it's the long awaited chapter of Stolen Hero!**

**It's a bit rough since i didn't review the entire thing...**

**Hope it's to your liking...**

**Oh, and there are a LOT of curve balls in this chapter... So while you read this and you come across something... well, surprising to say the least, remember that I warned you...**

**With that in mind, this is a Naruhina story =]**

**Enjoy!**

_**"Forgiveness is a funny thing, it warms the hearts and cools the sting."  
**_**~Peter Allen**

**Chapter 7: On the Move...**

**I don't own anything...**

* * *

"My parents?" a husky voice said, the words dragging the breath from the person's lungs. The speaker ran his fingers through his blond locks. Azure pools stared emptily at the ceiling, detached and duller than usual.

"She couldn't possibly have known them. I don't even know them," he growled. Naruto had gone back to his hotel room when he separated from Hinata. He wasn't sure where she went, he couldn't find the will to care. He didn't really care about anything, though it did kind of bother him that the sun sneaked past the curtains he closed and was shining on his eyes.

"Why should I believe her? She's from Konoha. She could easily be lying to me," he turned on his side and sighed. "But… it doesn't feel like she's lying," he frowned and flipped back on his back.

"She's a ninja, she could be a good liar," Naruto rebutted and nodded nonchalantly. He closed his eyes and groaned, grabbing a fistful of his hair. "I'm not getting anywhere with this. Stupid hormones. The old man warned me about this but I had to brush it off as him going senile," he shook his head and sat up.

"He made it seem like the world was going to end. That a war was going to happen," he had to smile a little at this. "Guess the old fool was right."

He blinked. "What if she isn't lying?" he mumbled.

He raised his left eyebrow and then sat up, looking around the hotel room he was occupying. He heard a small knock come from his door again and he swung his legs over the bed and got off, heading for the door. When he opened it, he was surprised to see his sensei with an ice pack on top of his head. Besides that, Naruto was thrown off by Deidara's bloodshot eyes.

"Sensei?" Naruto's voice was raspy and uncharacteristically low. Even so, Deidara winced and crinkled his eyes.

"SHH! Not so loud," he groaned. He walked past Naruto and sat on Naruto's bed. Naruto closed the door and turned on the lights; again eliciting a wince and a loud groan from his sensei.

"Dammit sensei, what has the old man said about drinking on a mission?" Naruto chided as he leaned his back against the door. "You're a lightweight. It's dangerous for you to be near alcohol."

"I know, it wasn't my fault," Deidara replied, trying to hold down his headache.

"What the hell happened?" Naruto asked.

_Deidara walked into a restaurant, hoping to find a good meal before going to bed. He always liked to eat a snack before sleeping._

_"Hello sir, how may I help you this fine evening?" a lovely and smooth voice asked. Deidara turned to the voice, taking in the young woman. She had long black hair pulled into a ponytail. Her passionate gray eyes sparked behind her glasses. She wore a standard waitress's uniform: pink blouse, pink skirt with a grease stained apron that was tied to her waist._

_Deidara couldn't stop a smile from appearing on his lips._

_"Hello. Uhm, just get me some riceballs and tea," he looked for a name tag but saw nothing of the kind. "I'm sorry, what's your name?" he asked and the girl giggled._

_"Suki," she answered with a blush and bowed. Deidara returned the gesture and then met her eyes. Her gray eyes flashed with a primitive lust that sent a chill down Deidara's spine. Deidara wasn't sure what it was about that flash of lust but he was put on edge by it but he refrained from externally showing it._

_"Well Suki, if you can get the riceballs and tea to me as soon as you can, that'd be great," Deidara said and Suki nodded before disappearing into the kitchen. A couple of minutes later, she returned with his meal. She set it in front of him and smiled._

_"Thank you," Deidara said and Suki nodded. She walked away just as Deidara took a sip into his tea. It was in that first gulp that he noticed three things. One, the tea was way too cold to be tea. Two, it wasn't even tea, it was sake. And three, the way Suki's hips swayed made his heart double its efforts and send blood to another part of his body._

_His eyes became droopy and a drunk smile appeared on his face._

_"Suki!" Deidara called out and she turned with a crooked smile. He didn't notice however and gestured her to his side. "This isn't tea," at this, Suki's smile slipped and she gasped._

_"My apologies, I'll fix that up right away," her hand reached to retrieve his cup but was stopped by Deidara._

_"Its fine, I was just going to ask if you can bring me more?" he asked, a drunken blush staining his cheek. Suki blinked before smiling and nodding, going to bring him more._

"And that's what happened," Deidara concluded and Naruto was rubbing his temples, trying not to bop his sensei over the head. "I woke up outside my room. Couldn't find my key,"

"Lightweight," Naruto mumbled under his breath as he turned his eyes to the clock. Twelve thirty?

"Is it really twelve thirty?" Naruto asked incredulous and Deidara nodded painfully. Naruto groaned and shook his head. He went straight to the bathroom and after a couple of minutes of silence; Deidara heard the sound of running water come from the bathroom.

"Hey, where's Naruto?" A voice asked at the door way. Deidara turned his gaze towards the voice only to widen his eyes and remain speechless. "I want to show him something."

It was at this point that Deidara had to wonder if he was the only one drinking last night.

**[*.*.*.*]**

The wind whistled past the four ninja's ears, each one's expression as professionally passive as the next, however, each of their eyes sparked with the Will of Fire only found in the dedicated and strong-willed members of The Village Hidden in the Leaves.

One of those eyes in particular was clouded with paternal worry, rage and doubt. His emotions were all part of the Domino effect. His worry was brought on by his daughter's kidnapping, which lead to his rage at the blasphemous act against not only the Hyūga Clan but Konoha as well. His rage had also lead to doubt; who knew if they'd ever see his daughter again.

"Hiashi," Hiashi turned his gaze to his old friend and blinked. "We're going to find her." Minato stated with conviction.

It wasn't something meant to reassure Hiashi, even though it did help. It wasn't said to motivate the team to keep their hopes up, even though it did. It was said to state the obvious. Hiashi could feel the certainty behind Minato's voice, as if it was common knowledge. However, it wasn't only his words but the expression on his face. Hiashi knew that face. It was the face that he had only seen in a handful of people. And that handful of people always got the job done, no matter what.

A smile graced the Hyūga's Patriarch. He turned to look at the expression of his comrades to see that they also shined with the confidence radiating from the Hokage. Hiashi was glad to have companions like these.

Hiashi shifted his gaze back in front of him and activated his kekkei genkai. They were nearing the location Team 8's report had described as their campsite. Thanks to their experience and skills, they managed to make the trip in under a day.

He knew the chances of finding clues were slim to none. Still, it never hurt to try, right?

They arrived to their destination and the four took in their surroundings. The area seemed normal enough, with the signs of a struggle starting to fade away with time. Minato and Kakashi used their experienced eyes to find any indicator as to where the kidnapper was headed. Hiashi and Obito used their respective kekkei genkai to try to spot something not seen by the naked eye.

None of them found anything.

Without breaking the silence, Minato shifted his gaze to Kakashi and nodded, Kakashi knowing immediately what he meant. He bit his thumb and made quick hand signs before slamming his right hand on the ground.

"**Summoning Jutsu!**" He cried out as writing scribbled to life around his hand and smoke surrounded him. When it dispersed, Kakashi's eight ninken appeared, obedient and ready to act.

"As I've explained before, a member of our village has been taken," Kakashi eyed his ninken and watched their bodies tense. "This is unacceptable. We need to find her and we need to find her now."

"I can see why you chose him to lead an ANBU team, he has the qualities of a great leader," Hiashi whispered to Minato who smiled proudly with a shrug. While he did, Kakashi let each of the ninken smell one of Hinata's ninja shoes given to him by Hiashi.

"When he's not being lazy," Minato added. Kakashi mumbled something under his breath before sighing.

"Fan out. If you find a scent, any scent, you let me know. Go," At this, the ninken barked simultaneously and disappeared in a mad dash in eight different directions. Kakashi turned to his companions and his eyes crinkled as he smiled.

"Now, we wait," Kakashi said and Minato nodded.

"And catch our breath," Obito and Hiashi nodded at this and the four sat down, discussing the possible outcomes, possible strategies, followed by a small pep talk from Minato. After that was done, the topic of women came up, causing the single men to laugh at the married men.

Finally, Kakashi faintly heard a howl come from his dogs and he, his team and the other ninken found their comrade sniffing a random area.

"Akino," said dog looked up at Kakashi, his eyes hiding behind black sunglasses. "What did you find?"

"I found a squirrel's home," Akino said and everyone sweat dropped. "Wait, that's not why I called,"

"A male," Bisuke said after taking a sniff at the ground near Akino. Soon the other ninken followed their lead and agreed with Bisuke.

"Exactly," Akino said and pointed in the direction behind him. "The scent continues that way. There's also another scent, very faint. Almost didn't catch it."

"Is it Hinata's?" Hiashi asked, trying to mask his worry. Pakkun looked at Hiashi.

"It's feminine, so chances are it is," Pakkun's answer seemed to quell Hiashi's nerves and he let out a silent sigh of relief.

"Let's get going; we're losing daylight," Obito said with a skip to his step.

"Lead the way," Kakashi ordered and Akino nodded as he and his brethren started to follow the scent left behind. Hiashi had his fist clenched, his knuckles turning white.

"Easy there," Minato said with a hand on top of Hiashi's left shoulder. "We'll find her."

Hiashi nodded and maintained his pace with the ninken. He'd have to be patient.

Normally, he had enough patience for any situation. This once, however, he found himself struggling to find patience. He'd have to make do with what he had.

**[*.*.*.*]**

When Naruto opened the door to the bathroom, all the steam collected in the bathroom immediately flowed out and scattered into the cool-aired room. Naruto stepped out with a white muscle shirt and black shorts.

He walked into the room, his towel in his right hand, drying his blond hair, his eyes were closed and his breath was released through his nose.

"Hey Naruto-kun," Naruto knew that voice anywhere. He sighed; Kurotsuchi.

"Yea-" he was cut short when he saw Kurotsuchi. Her hair was changed from its dark black hair to half blue, half pink. She had a nose piercing on her left nostril, one on each ear, and one underneath her black shirt, right where her belly button would be. Her black shirt and pants were tattered, making her look like she got in a fight with a pair of scissors.

All in all, she looked ridiculous in Naruto's opinion.

"How do I look?" she asked and Naruto looked to his left where he saw Deidara bury his head under a pillow. Naruto shifted his gaze on Kurotsuchi again and sighed.

"Ok, Kurotsuchi, I say this because I care and I'm a friend so please don't take it the wrong way," Naruto said and she nodded. "But your piercings would set off any metal detector worth the name, you're dressed like Frankenhooker, and your hair has been dyed colors I previously thought existed only in cotton candy."

Kurotsuchi frowned. "So, you don't like it?"

Naruto let out a frustrated groan and left the room without another sound. Kurotsuchi watched him go and hung her head in defeat.

"Told you he wouldn't like it," Deidara muttered under the pillow. Kurotsuchi glared at him as she removed her piercings one by one before grabbing her hair and throwing it at Deidara who grunted as it hit him.

"I'm so going to kill her," Kurotsuchi declared as she stomped out of the room, presumably to her room.

Deidara rose from his position and looked around. His headache still rocked his head every time he moved so he decided to sleep off the headache, if only for a few minutes.

**[*.*.*.*]**

"Hey," Hinata heard a voice said. "Wake up," she slowly opened her eyes and saw an old man staring back at her. She blinked and sat up quickly, barely missing butting heads with the old man. She looked around and saw that she was sitting on a park bench, with children playing in the playground and their parents watching them. A couple of tables used for games of Shogi were spread out near the playground, something Hinata didn't notice the night before. Hinata returned her gaze to the old man and his friend.

"Are you all right?" the old man with the cane asked. Hinata blinked again, winced from the pain in her arm and stared at the other old man in the wheel chair. She walked off, not saying a word, heading for the hotel.

She had no idea how she fell asleep in the park. She couldn't remember anything after watching Naruto leave. It was all a big blur.

If she had to take a guess, she'd say that she was probably more tired than she first thought or maybe it was from the pain killers she took for her arm. Whatever the case may be, she decided to go back to her room, to take a hot shower and hopefully wash away the headache pounding against her skull.

She managed to reach the hotel without falling from to the headache. She walked down the hallway and was nearing her room when she saw Naruto exiting his room. She froze in fear and half hoped he'd see her and the other half hoped he wouldn't. She was relieved and disappointed when he walked in the opposite direction, not noticing her presence. She let out a sigh and stepped into her room and slowly closed the door behind her, pressing her back against it.

After composing herself, Hinata grabbed the waterproof sling the doctor gave her, entered the bathroom and stripped down. She replaced her sling with the waterproof on before entering the shower. The sound of rushing water could be heard soon after. She felt the water rush over her; it felt heavenly.

It was as if the water was washing away some of the pain in her body. All the grime and sweat followed the rushing water off her body and soon enough, Hinata just found herself lost in her thoughts.

_'Why did it have to be this way?'_ she thought. _'Maybe I should leave him alone. I should forget about him,'_ she was too lost in her thoughts to notice a tear roll down her cheek.

_'My intuition is telling me that this won't end well but…'_ she paused, letting it all sink in as she clenched her fist tight and grinded her teeth. _'I just can't forget him. There's so much at stake. The Fourth Hokage, father, mother, Konoha! All of them could be affected by just him. He'd make mother so happy, not only her but the Fourth as well.'_

Hinata relaxed her jaws and winced; now noticing how tightly she clenched them. Still, even that didn't derail her train of thought.

_'It might be too late for me but, mother and the Fourth didn't get a chance. I owe it to them.'_ With her conviction burning in her, Hinata nodded and finished cleaning herself before stepping out of the shower and drying herself off, careful of her injured arm. She hung her sling to dry after changing it with a dry one. She fixed the towel to wrap around her torso and waist, making sure it wouldn't fall on its own. She stepped into the cool-aired room and thanked Kami that the hotel kept a fresh pair of generic clothes for the guest. The white-T was not her size, making her look a lot smaller than she really was. The grey sweats, however, fit snuggly, making her legs feel like they were wrapped in clouds.

Just when she reached the doorknob, she heard a knock come from the other side of the door.

"Uhm, who is it?" she asked, listening closely. She heard a frustrated sigh come from the other side.

"Kurotsuchi," she growled and Hinata hesitated to open the door. By the biting tone in her voice, chances are she found out that Hinata had lied to her. Well, not completely but that was beside the point. Taking in what could've been her last breath; Hinata opened the door and braced herself. Hinata was surprised when Kurotsuchi didn't outright scream at her. In fact, she found it eerily disturbing that no sound came from the normally loud and energetic black-haired girl.

"What did you do to him?" once again, it was not the response Hinata was expecting. It threw her through a loop.

"I'm sorry?" Hinata responded, confusing written all over her face.

"Why is Naruto so upset?" Kurotsuchi rephrased and realization dawned on Hinata's face.

"I didn't do anything," she struggled to say, turning her head to look away from Kurotsuchi. "He just didn't take the news so well."

Kurotsuchi shook her head. "If it wasn't for you, he would've noticed how awesome I looked earlier,"

Hinata just looked at her incredulously. This girl actually believed all the ludicrous things Hinata had told her the night before.

_'Love is blind,'_ Hinata thought with a sweat drop, though she forced an apologetic smile and cutely tilted her head to the left, her eyes crinkled. "I'm sorry to hear that," the aftertaste those words left in her mouth made Hinata want to go wash her teeth… again.

"Go fix this," Kurotsuchi said. Hinata nodded, getting the feeling that it was more of a demand than a suggestion. Hinata quickly walked around Kurotsuchi and went off to go find Naruto; hopefully to help cheer him up then upset him even more. Kurotsuchi watched her go and sighed when she left.

Hinata activated her Byakugan and began to scan the area, trying to speed up the search.

_'Where'd you go, Naruto? Oh, maybe he left or is avoiding me. Maybe I won't find him until he wants me to find him. Maybe…'_ Her brows furrowed at these thoughts. She had to remain positive in her abilities and that she'd find him regardless of what obstacle stood in her path.

She deactivated her Byakugan and sighed, rubbing her eyes as she did. She was still tired and had to strain herself to keep her kekkei genkai activated for extended periods of time.

It was an ill-fated that she had to cancel out her Byakugan right outside a store because it was right then that a door opened and Hinata walked right into it.

She fell on her back and held her forehead. She counted her blessings that her forehead took all of the force of the hit.

"O-Ow," she mumbled.

"I'm sorry, I-" She blinked her eyes opened and saw Naruto standing over her. He stopped short when she saw who he hit and Hinata saw a little annoyance in his face but it was far overshadowed by worry.

"Hinata-chan, are you ok?" Naruto asked and extended his right hand to help her up. She nodded her head as she accepted his hand with her good hand and stood. She looked at him and felt panic rise inside her stomach. Well, she found him, that's a silver lining; maybe her luck was changing.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Kushina smiled happily as she greeted everyone she passed in her Hokage robes. Short of living her dream of having a family, she was experience one of the best moments of her life. She was the Hokage.

Sure, it was going to end as soon as Minato returned but she wasn't going to let the opportunity pass her while she sat behind the Hokage's desk.

The villagers greeted her with a curt nod and bow and followed it with a 'good afternoon'.

_'Oh yeah, it's good being Hokage,'_ she thought as she stopped to pay a visit to the restaurant with the best food in the entire world; Ichiraku's ramen bar.

"Well if it isn't the first female Hokage, what can I do for you?" Teuchi asked as he welcomed Kushina into his restaurant. Kushina acknowledged Teuchi with a bright smile and a chuckle.

"The usual, grand chef, I'm in the mood to eat until I'm in a ramen coma, dattebane!" Kushina answered with a shout and her right fist in the air.

"Of course, yes Lady Hokage," Teuchi continued the banter with a laugh and set to work on making Kushina's order. Kushina hummed to herself while looking around, taking in everything.

"So, where's Ayame?" Kushina asked and heard Teuchi scoff.

"Off with her loser boyfriend," Teuchi answered from the kitchen. Kushina laughed as his answer, having to hold on to her seat so she didn't fall off.

"The ANBU captain? A loser? No sir," Kushina laughed, hearing another scoff from the kitchen. She barked out another laugh. "I trained the brat myself and let me tell you, he's no loser," when she heard no answer from Teuchi, she came up with a plan to irk the older man.

"And he has incredible stamina, or so Ayame tells me," Kushina felt killing intent radiate from Teuchi and when she saw his face, she busted out laughing, falling off her seat. She didn't care who stared at her, the rage on Teuchi's face was hilarious and well worth it.

"I see you continue to torture me, even after ANBU graduation, Lady Hokage," Kushina looked up amidst her laughter to see the stoic expression on her godson. Well, he wasn't completely stoic; there was a small upward bend in the corner of his lips.

"You bet, dattebane!" Kushina cheered. "Come, sit with me, Itachi," Kushina said and the ANBU captain did. He was currently dressed in his civilian clothes which consisted of black shorts and shirt with the Uchiha's symbol proudly worn on the back of his shirt and a weapons pouch tied to his right leg.

"Where's Ayame?" Teuchi asked, his voice calm and low. Kushina chuckled when she saw Itachi flinch. It was hard to catch but Kushina knew Itachi long enough to see the tell tale signs.

"She's home, resting," Itachi answered.

"From what?" Kushina and Teuchi asked and Itachi sweat dropped.

"Training. I was teaching Ayame how to throw a kunai and shuriken, along with how to get out of particular holds should she ever encounter herself in a troubling situation," Teuchi stuck his head out of the kitchen to glare at Itachi. Itachi's poker face was perfect, if it wasn't for his nervous habit of twitching his fingers.

"Leave the poor boy alone," Kushina said and slammed her right hand on the table. "As Hokage, I demand you to continue my ramen," Kushina demanded and Teuchi mumbled under his breath. "WHAT WAS THAT?"

"Nothing," he answered with a sweat drop.

"Damn right nothing," she said with a smirk before turning to Itachi. "So hows the ANBUing business going?" she asked and Itachi sighed. He took out a pocky from his pocket and munched on it silently for a few minutes.

"Tough, some of the older members are still giving me trouble for being younger than them," he shook his head at seeing the angered look at Kushina's face. "It's fine, though. Eventually, they'll get over it," Itachi gave Kushina a once-over before continuing on his pocky.

"What's up with the get-up?" Itachi asked nonchalantly. "Lord Hokage forgot to lock up his Hokage robes again?" Kushina pouted at Itachi but he wasn't paying attention to her.

"NO!" she yelled before sticking her tongue out at him. "He went looking for Hinata-chan and he left me in charge,"

Itachi faced her and blinked. "Why in Kami's name would he do that?"

"You know what? This is why I like to torture you!" Itachi smirked. Kushina scoffed and stole a pocky from Itachi just as he was about to take a bite from it. "So how's Sasuke-kun?"

Itachi hesitated. "He's good, still a little worried," Kushina nodded.

"I should think so," Kushina said somberly. "Considering he and Hinata-chan have been friends since the beginning of the Academy and of what happened three months ago,"

"Yeah, I know," Itachi agreed. "He's been training nonstop since he's heard of her disappearance,"

"Looks like he's taking it well," Kushina said as she took another bite of her pocky. "Still, does he-?"

"Yes," Itachi answered, knowing what she was going to ask.

"Well, does he know that she doesn't-?"

"Yes,"

"Do you think he'll-"

"My brother is many things, but one thing he isn't is stupid," Itachi answered once again and Kushina glowered.

"You know it bothers when you-"

"I know, godmother," Itachi smirked as he stared at Kushina from the corner of his eyes. He saw that his words had the desired effect on her.

"So how're your old folks?" she asked, changing the subject before she killed Itachi.

"Father is still an ass," Itachi chuckled a little at that. "Mother is still the same," he shook his head. "How she puts up with him, I'll never know," Kushina laughed while Itachi went with one short chuckle.

"Love is a weird thing," Kushina said. "It's what's keeping Teuchi from killing you right where you sit,"

Itachi chuckled again and stood. "I suppose," he placed a pocky on the table and turned to leave.

"It was nice seeing you again, godmother. You as well, Teuchi," Teuchi mumbled under his breath while waving sluggishly.

"I'll see you later, Itachi-kun!" Kushina cheered, placing the pocky in her mouth. He turned to the left, just barely avoiding a cleaver to the back of his head. "Ha, you missed!"

"Hm," Without another word, Teuchi set back to work. The ramen bar suddenly became quiet for a long while.

"Where's my food?" Kushina finally snapped.

"It's a lot of food!" Teuchi retorted.

"Are you calling me fat?" Teuchi didn't answer. "Smart man," Kushina said before cupping her cheeks and resting her elbows on the counter, wondering what her husband was doing at the moment.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Minato sneezed. Normally, a sneeze is a sneeze; it didn't matter when it happened or why. In his current predicament, however, silence was crucial.

With Minato's sneeze, it broke the silence, which alerted the six rogue nin they hid from their location.

"Great," Minato mumbled as he turned to his team. "Hiashi, follow Kakashi as he continues following the trail, Hiashi and I will deal with the rogue nin. Obito, you're with me," Hiashi and Kakashi nodded before running off just as the rogue nin began to run toward Minato and Obito.

"Nice timing," Obito said as he took out a kunai and activated his Sharingan.

Minato sweat dropped. "I know,"

**[*.*.*.*]**

Kiba sighed, having finished his team exercises with Kurenai and Shino. Without Hinata, the training seemed useless and counter-productive. Kurenai tried to justify it by saying it'd help them let go of their dependence on Hinata but even he could tell she didn't mean it.

Konoha just wasn't the same without his Hyūga teammate.

"Inuzuka," a voice called. Kiba stopped and turned to face the voice. He groaned when he saw who it was.

"Uchiha," Sasuke has spiky black hair with a blue tint and onyx eyes. He has lighter skin than his older brother, Itachi. His hair hangs over both sides of his face to roughly frame his cheeks. He outfit was similar to Itachi's except his shirt was a blue instead of black and a katana was hanging on his back.

"You heard word of Hinata?" he asked and Kiba sneered.

"What's it to you?" Kiba growled out the question and Sasuke glared.

"I'm not here to fight, Inuzuka. I just want to know if you know anything about Hinata since her disappearance,"

"No, I haven't," Kiba said harshly. Sasuke gauged Kiba's face before nodding and walking away. "What do you care?" Kiba blurted out, stopping Sasuke in his tracks.

"What?"

"Ever since you got your own tutor, you've distanced yourself from us," Kiba said, glowering. "Since when do you care?"

"I've always cared," Sasuke answered honestly. "I might not show it but I do care. Especially about Hinata-chan," Sasuke said, saying the last part under his breath. Kiba heard him though and it made his eyes widen slightly.

"You love her," Kiba said and Sasuke reestablished eye contact.

"…I do…" he answered and Kiba clenched his fist tightly.

"I'm not losing to you," he stated and Sasuke continued to stare in silence. He then smirked and turned to walk away.

"Challenged accepted, mutt," Sasuke taunted and Kiba growled.

"Brat," Kiba muttered before turning and walking away as well.

_'I knew going after Hinata-chan wasn't going to be easy, considering how beautiful and kind she is but having Sasuke as an rival for her love?'_ Kiba shook his head.

"Things have just gotten a lot more complicated," he said under his breath.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Hinata was blushing madly, blinking repeatedly and thinking about what exactly she was going to say to Naruto.

At the moment, she was in the park where they talked the night before with Naruto. He was sitting on the bench next to her, thinking to himself. He told her he wanted to tell her something but then grew quiet, so she guessed he was making sure he was able to correctly translate his thoughts into words.

She didn't blame him, she was doing the same.

"Hinata," Naruto mumbled and then looked up at her. She met his eyes and nodded in acknowledgment. "First off, thank you for giving me time to think," she nodded again.

"Sure thing Naruto-kun," she said with a smile and Naruto looked away, hoping that he was able to stop the blush from showing up. After taking some time to make sure he wouldn't blush for a couple of minutes, he looked at Hinata again.

"If you want me to believe that you weren't lying to me yesterday, I want you to look me in the eyes," he said and she did. "And tell me that you weren't lying,"

Hianta gulped as she stared into his eyes and into his souls. She saw that on the inside, he would be crushed if she had lied to him.

"I promise that I didn't," she said and Naruto continued to look into her eyes, searching to see if what she said was the truth or a lie. "I… I don't like to lie, Naruto-kun," she added.

"…" Naruto double checked and Hinata felt her shyness begin to surface. Her blush deepened.

"I didn't lie to you," Hinata declared strongly. "I really do l-like you," she faltered a little but Naruto could tell she meant what she said. "What do I have to do to prove to you that I'm not lying?" Naruto blinked at her outburst but then returned after some thinking with a grin.

"Tell me something nobody else in this world knows about," Hinata blinked and looked down at her fingers. "And just to make it fair, if I feel that you're telling me the truth, I'll do the same," Hinata turned her gaze back at him and gulped.

"You will?" he nodded. "Promise?" he nodded again, a serious expression on his face. She blushed again and looked at her fingers.

"…" she hesitated to tell him one of her deepest, darkest secrets but after some serious thought, she decided that it was worth it. That he was worth it.

"…I once tried to kill myself," she said under her breath. Naruto stared at her, concentrated so deeply that everything else in his world fade. He tried to see if she was lying, but he could tell she wa speaking the truth. Then his eyes widened.

"…why?" he asked.

"I… I couldn't handle the pressure of being the Hyūga clan heiress," she chuckled mirthlessly and shook her head. "Worse, my first mother died a couple months after my heiress training began, and I just couldn't take it,"

Naruto continued to stare at her with sad eyes. "What stopped you?"

At this, Hinata laughed. "My second mother, but I call her mother now,"

"You're father remarried?" Hinata shook her head.

"She was a family friend but she was like a second mother. She helped my father take care of me after my real mother died. She really helped me get out of my depression and even gave me confidence to continue living, even though she doesn't know it,"

"…how did you try to kill yourself?" he asked.

"I tried to drown myself," she answered. "I woke up in the hospital the next day. My second mother says she found me while she was out training somewhere near,"

"You should've bled to death, it works faster," Naruto advised sagely. "Trust me, you always float to the top when you try to drown yourself," Hinata stared at him incredulously.

"You tried to kill yourself before?" Naruto answered her with a nod.

"Many times, all failed attempts, all seemed like an accident so nobody asked too many questions," Naruto looked up at the sky nostalgically. "After my fifth attempt, I just stopped taking the easy way out,"

"So… is that what you were going to tell me?" She asked, a little uncertain and displeased but Naruto shook his head.

"Nah, it's not what I was going to say," he turned to her and smiled. "I'm planning a coup," he told her and Hinata cutely tilted her head to the left side and blinked.

"W-What?" she asked.

"I'm tired of the old fool," Naruto explained. "He's getting too old and is going senile," Naruto looked down at his feet and smirked tiredly. "He doesn't know how to lead,"

"Oh," was all Hinata could say.

"I'm gonna become the new Tsuchikage and I'll make sure that Iwa prospers, like it was made to do," Naruto declared proudly. Hinata watched him intently before smiling with crinkled eyes.

"I'm sure you'll make a great Tsuchikage," Hinata stated and Naruto looked at her before smiling with a faint blush.

"Thanks,"

"And if you need help," Hinata boldly reached out with her left hand and held Naruto's hand. "I'm here," Naruto's blush darkened and he nodded dumbly. "And I have a few friends who'll help you without a second thought,"

"T-Thank you," Naruto met Hinata's eyes and smiled. "Hinata-chan,"

"So, you forgive me?" she asked, hope making her eyes brighter and Naruto took a second to nod his head. She didn't exactly like the hesitation but as long as he forgave her, she'd accept it.

"But it'll take a while before I can completely trust you," Hinata nodded in understanding.

"I get it," she said and Naruto smiled in gratitude. The two then looked at different things, trying not to focus on the fact that they were sitting close or the fact that they were still holding hands.

"We should… probably head back to the hotel, we're heading for Iwa today and then we'll let Konoha know that we found you," Naruto said sadly and Hinata nodded. She finally let go of his hand as they stood and began to walk towards the hotel.

"How's your arm?" Naruto asked and Hinata looked at it.

"It's healing. It hurts when I move it a certain way but it's ok," she answered, noticing that Naruto was looking at her arm… or maybe her breasts.

She blushed at that thought and doubted it but when she saw that dark blush on his cheeks, she began to think so.

"Are… a-are you looking a-at my… b-breasts?" Naruto made a whimpering sound before looking forward. "N-Naruto-kun?" Before she even finished saying his name, he began to sprint down the street.

"Naruto-kun!" she began to chase after him and while she did, she faintly heard him laugh. She couldn't help but smile even though what he did was inappropriate.

From the shadows, a silhouette watched Hinata as she ran.

"Time is running out for you, my prey," the silhouette whispered before changing his haunting gaze to Naruto who was about to turn the corner. "And for you as well, my rival," the silhouette chuckled before turning to face his visitor.

"Why haven't you attacked them yet?" Neko asked, her right index finger twirling her pure blue hair. The man snarled and began to walk away. "I disposed of his sensei for you but you let the opportunity slide past your fingers," she purred angrily but the man continued to walk away.

"I decide when it is time to attack," the man declared. "Now leave me,"

Neko just stared at the man before sighing and stretching her body, satisfied by the occasional popping sound.

A man riding a bike was just passing by when he saw Neko stretch. He gawked at her for the longest time, until he ran into the water fountain and fell right in. Neko blinked and looked around, she shrugged her shoulders and walked off, her demonic cat ears and tail fading when she stepped into the sunlight.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Being a rogue ninja wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Considering that they had to make sure their trail was invisible to practically everyone was hard, avoiding Hunter-nin when they were found was even harder.

A sigh escaped the teen's lips as he walked down the underground hallway. It's been days since he's last seen sunlight or felt a fresh breeze hit his face. He missed nature, and he could tell he'd go insane soon if he didn't get some fresh air.

"It's ok," he said under his breath. "As long as I'm not dead, eventually I'll be outside again,"

It wasn't all bad, though. Being a rogue nin had allowed the teen to learn many things; powerful techniques that probably would've been out of his reach should he have stayed in his village.

"Mother... father..." the thought of his old village reminded him of the tragedies of his home. He shook off the gloom and continued his trek to his temporary room. Staring down, the teen took in his new clothes. A black robe with red clouds covered him from the rest of the world. Under it was a pale blue sleeveless shirt and same colored pants and shoes. Under his sleeveless shirt was a body mesh.

"The Akatsuki," he mumbled under his breath. He and his master have been in the Akatsuki over a year now and yet he still couldn't force himself to like the uniform. Still, he wasn't in the group for their fashion sense, but for the steady-income and jobs they provided. The teen felt a presence in front of him so he looked up to see his master who stood in the middle of the hallway.

"What are you gawking at?" the teen flinched at his master's harsh and biting tone. Still, he knew his master cared for him, even though he was reluctant to show it. It was just the way he worked.

"I'm sorry," his master, who had his lower face covered in gauze, just smirked.

"Go get ready," he said. "Leader has a job for us," the teen blinked before smiling.

"We get to go outside?" his master nodded and the teen sprinted to his temporary room. All he really needed was his medical kit and some extra weapons. He was so excited, though, that he didn't hear a second set of footsteps.

"Nice kid you have there," the giant of the man bellowed, irritating the teen's master. But instead of getting into a fight with the man, he walked off.

"Shove it up your ass, Kisame," at this, Kisame just laughed and walked in the opposite direction.

"I just love messing with him," Kisame stated as he continued to walk aimlessly until he bumped into his partner. The man had a huge hunch on his back, making him at least four feet. Compared to the giant Kisame, his partner might be mistaken for a fat old man with a back problem.

"Kisame, we need to go," Sasori said and Kisame chuckled.

"We got a job?" Sasori nodded, to which Kisame showed his shark-like teeth. "Where to?"

Sasori's eyes gleamed with mischief and excitement. "Iwa,"

* * *

**Well people, things just got interesting...**

**There are probably a million questions going through your mind right now... yea, it happens...**

**Let me just make a few things clear:**

**-Obito is alive... His back story will come soon, but not now...**

**-The Uchiha Clan did not even PLAN a coup, not an official one with a meeting and all anyway... With Minato as Hokage, i doubt they'd do anything to get his attention... That's what I'm going with, so get over it...**

**-Sasuke has his own jonin sensei, ok?**

**-This will be NARUHINA, no if's, and's or but's about it...**

**-I will somewhere follow canon except everyone is 14 instead of 12... Deal with it...**

**What else...?**

**-Like Naruto said, he might've forgiven Hinata but his trust doesn't follow so quickly... She's gunna have to work for it...**

**Hmm... i think that's it for now...**

**Any questions, hit me up and let me know...**

**Comments? hit the review button at the bottom...**

**Till next time!**

**Good luck with whatever and if you got a problem with me or one of my stories, please feel free to: Deal with it, Get over it or Choke on it...**


	8. What We Fight For

**Yo, Angelito here and with gifts! Well, a gift...**

**Chapter 8!**

**I enjoyed writing this chapter and it was also easy to write, so that's a bonus...**

**Hope you enjoy it!**

**_"A true champion is not admired by their ability to fight. A true champion is admired by their ability to stand up in the face of adversity."_  
–John Cena**

**Chapter 8: What We Fight For...**

**i don't own Naruto...**

* * *

Onyx eyes were glued on Naruto and Hinata as they traveled to Iwa. They left the Hidden Star Village this morning and have been running ever since, occasionally taking a break.

Currently, it was just a little after eight and the man's patience was running dry.

Frankly, the girl with black hair wouldn't stop talking to the blond prey and glaring at the white-eyed prey. It was his prey; no one would take her away from him, especially not some black-haired brat. The boy with brown hair didn't look worth hunting so the man paid no mind to him.

His dark eyes landed on the man with blond hair; he was a major issue. If he wanted to kill his blond prey and still take the white-eyed prey, he'd have to take out the blond man first.

The question was: how would he accomplish that?

He hummed quietly to himself; the gears in his head turning and coming up with multiple solutions to his problem. He took one last look at the fading sun.

'_Soon…'_

"Whatcha doin'?" a voice purred and the man growled.

"What is it you want, demon?" the man asked and Neko giggled.

"Just wondering what you're doing, my pretty," the man turned and gave Neko a quizzical expression. Then, an idea popped in his head and he looked back down.

"See that man?" he asked, pointing at Deidara and Neko squinted her eyes.

"He looks familiar but…" she then smiled and snapped her fingers. "Ah yes, I know him!" she was silenced by the man's right hand promptly after her proclamation.

"Quiet fool!" he barked under his breath and Neko glared. Then, the man felt his hand begin to lose feeling and removed his hand from her mouth. He saw that she had licked his hand.

"Like it?" she asked as she puffed her chest out proudly. "It's my Kiss of Death," the man only glowered.

"I want you to keep the man busy!" he ordered and Neko pouted.

"I don't wanna!" she whined and the man growled. She sighed after some time and nodded. "Fine,"

"Good," the man said and then turned his attention back on his prey. "We'll strike on my command," Neko only purred and followed after the man as he kept tabs on his kill.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Minato sighed as he followed Kakashi and his ninken. Obito and Hiashi followed behind him and they were starting to get anxious. As more time passed, the trail got fainter and the group got more depressed.

"Nice going back there, by the way," Obito said and Minato groaned.

"Let it go, I said I was sorry," Minato said for the tenth time since the incident with the rogue ninjas.

"If it didn't happen, we wouldn't be so behind," Obito continued and flinched when Minato stopped walking. He turned and faced Obito with a passive expression.

"If you mention this again, Obito, you will be tasked to find the Daimyo's wife's cat every time she runs away for the next year," Obito gulped with wide eyes, knowing his sensei would make good on his threat. That cat…that evil feline devil!

"Minato," Hiashi said, getting Minato's attention. "Calm down, we need to focus," Minato sighed and turned, continuing their trek. Obito took a second longer to continue, wanting some space between him and his sensei.

"Dammit Kakashi, how much longer till we find her?" Obito whined and Kakashi sighed.

"You rush a miracle worker, you get lousy miracles," Kakashi answered and Minato couldn't stop a small smile from appearing.

"Is it really that hard to do?" Obito asked exasperatedly and Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"Apparently," Obito wasn't satisfied with his answer but let it go, not wanting to irritate the Hyūga Patriarch.

"So Minato-sensei," Obito said. "You left your wife in charge of Konoha, huh? Was that really such a wise choice?" Minato turned his head to Obito and looked at him dead in the eyes.

"…" Everyone was waiting patiently for his answer. "You know Obito, I'm not completely sure," Minato's three companions sweat-dropped.

"I just needed someone I trusted to take care of my village while I'm gone and there's no one in the world I trust more than my wife," he added and Kakashi smiled under his mask.

"Nice answer," Obito complimented as he smiled goofily.

"Still, you know she's going to procrastinate and will most likely leave most, if not all, of the paperwork to you when you return," Hiashi stated and Minato bowed his head, exaggerated tears falling from his eyes.

"I know," his companions laughed at his misery. Suddenly, the group found themselves in a battleground. They each examined the clearing, each taking in everything.

The place looked like a small army came there and literally had a war. The ground had gouges in it, some deep, some not. Trees were on the ground and the reflecting pool was a lot shallower than it should've been.

All in all, the place looked terrible.

"Whoa, looks like someone went a little overboard in their training," Obito commented, his eyes scanning the area. Kakashi faced him with a deadpanned expression.

"Only you would think the cause of this mess was training," Kakashi insulted and Obito glared and stuck his tongue out.

One of Kakashi's dogs let out a bark and then all seven headed to the deepest and widest gouge. They talked amongst themselves in their native tongue for a few minutes. The rest of the group that didn't speak dog could only wonder what exactly was being said but by the looks on their face and body language, they were arguing with each other.

"Report," Kakashi ordered and the ninken looked at each other before Pakkun walked up to Kakashi and his group.

"Well," Pakkun started, pausing to think of the right words to say. "Here's the thing; the guy's scent we found yesterday is here, in that big gouge in the ground," he informed.

"Yeah, so?" Obito asked and received a small glare from Pakkun.

"So, there's another scent in there as well,"

"Is it Hinata's?" Hiashi asked and Pakkun shook his head.

"So, what does it matter?" Obito asked, getting a little impatient with this whole ordeal. He just wanted to go home, really. Pakkun ignored the obnoxious Uchiha and looked at Minato.

"Do you mind if I sniff you?" Pakkun asked and Minato gave him a questioning gaze.

"Does it involve what we're doing now?" he asked and Pakkun nodded. Minato nodded and watched silently as one of Kakashi's dogs took in his scent.

"That's what I thought," the pug said as he walked back to his comrades. "The other scent in there is similar to your scent, Minato." Everyone was surprised to hear that.

"What?" Minato asked, disbelief written on his face.

"It's not the exactly like yours but it is similar," Pakkun stated. "And yet, it also reminds me of your wife."

"This is weird," Obito said aloud. "It's not only me who think that, is it?"

"That's…" The first thought that came to Minato's mind was Naruto. _'It can't be… have I finally found my son?'_ he thought, his heart racing and his muscles tensing.

"Minato," Hiashi spoke, looking doubtful as Minato turned to look at him. "I don't want you to get hurt, my friend, so let's not jump to conclusions just yet,"

If Minato acted on his impulses, he would've ignored Hiashi and asked Pakkun to track down the scent. This was a small ray of hope of actually finding his son and he really didn't want to let it go.

Looking at Hiashi, he knew that he was in the same situation. He couldn't abandon his friend like this. It wouldn't be fair.

"Good news though," Pakkun said before anyone said anything else. "Both Hinata's and the other scent are together," Minato and Hiashi looked at each other and both flashed a smile, hope sparking in their respective eyes.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Obito cheered. "Let's get it on!" Kakashi gauged Minato's expression. Minato just gave him a thumbs up and smiled.

"Let's go," Kakashi ordered and the dogs began to track the scent.

'_This is it,'_ Minato thought as he followed Kakashi, hoping to get his goddaughter and son.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Steady breathing.

That was all that was heard in the Hokage's office and yet no one could find the source of the sound. The only thing in the Hokage's office was a giant pile of paperwork that was only a foot shy of touching the ceiling.

Itachi was more than a little confused.

"Lady Hokage?" he uttered as he stepped into the room.

"Brother, what are we doing here?" Sasuke asked and Itachi silenced him with a stare. Itachi then continued on his quest to locate Kushina.

He walked around the desk and saw that the paperwork also stretched out over the chair. Deciding to check under the paperwork, Itachi made fast hand signs before blowing out a strong breeze from his mouth.

The papers flew all over the place, scattering around the room until not a single paper lay on the desk.

Sasuke just blinked as he saw a woman with long red hair sleeping on top of the desk.

"Lady Hokage?" Itachi gently tapped Kushina's shoulder, only to withdraw his hand as Kushina stood and attempted to grab it. She blinked and looked at Itachi and Sasuke.

"Huh? What are you two doing in my office?" she asked as she wiped the drool from the corner of her lip.

"I came by to ask for a favor," Itachi said with a bow and Kushina smiled.

"Sure; ask away!" she said as she sat down on the chair. "Whoa, that's a lot of paperwork. Good thing I don't have to deal with it," Kushina said offhandedly.

"Actually, you do, don't you?" Sasuke asked and gulped when Kushina leveled him with a glare.

"As I was saying," Itachi said, hoping to keep his surrogate mother from killing his younger brother. "I wish to nominate my brother for the rank of Chūnin."

This caught both Kushina and Sasuke off guard.

"W-Wh…What?" Sasuke sputtered in incredulity. Kushina regained her composure faster and leaned back on her chair, humming as thoughts ran by her mind.

"No…" she answered and Itachi's eyebrows furrowed. "At least, I'm not going to give it to him on a silver platter,"

"Lady Hokage, if I may-"

"You can stop right there Itachi!" she said, putting her right hand up. "I know what you are going to say."

Itachi just raised an eyebrow in morbid fascination. "Oh, do you?"

Kushina nodded. "You were going to give me this whole lecture on how quickly Sasuke is progressing and how great he is," she sighed. "And I'm not going to disagree with you. Kakashi's reports have shown that Sasuke has learned everything he's been taught so far, and half the time, he wasn't using the Sharingan."

Sasuke smiled proudly as Itachi placed a hand on his shoulder. "Still, I have…other plans for him," Kushina said, pausing in the middle of her sentence for dramatic effect.

"What plans?" Itachi asked suspiciously, prompting Kushina to smile mischievously.

"Well, I have a team that's missing one of their members and the Chūnin Exams is right around the corner!" she said in a singsong tone. Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I'm not taking Hinata's place," he said decisively, causing Kushina to frown.

"That's…not your choice," Kushina said, ending it with a smile. "I had Kurenai already ask her team and they'd love to have you," she told him. Sasuke raised an eyebrow with disbelief. Kushina sweat-dropped. "Well, not completely true but they're willing to work with you so there's that."

"Lady Hokage, please reconsider!" Sasuke pleaded and Kushina silenced him with another raised hand.

"My decision is final. With you instructor gone, you have nothing to do and you need to brush up on your teamwork. You shall meet them at training ground twelve at…" Kushina looked at the clock on a wall. "Ten minutes ago…"

Itachi and Sasuke just stared at her as if she had grown a second head. "Well, don't just stand there! Get to it, chop chop!" Kushina said and Sasuke stared at her for a moment longer before sighing.

"Yes, Lady Hokage," Sasuke said before walking out. Itachi watched his brother leave before facing Kushina.

"Seems a little irrational," he commented and Kushina nodded knowingly.

"Most Uchihas are," Kushina said before holding her hands up in defense. "No offense,"

"No, it's fine, I should've seen that one coming," Itachi offered, causing Kushina to giggle. "Seriously, is this something you thought out?" he asked and Kushina pouted and folded her arms across her chest.

"I'm offended."

"You should be."

She glared. "If you must know, Minato-kun suggested this before he left," she informed him and after registering _that_, Itachi nodded.

"I see," he said and bowed. "I'll be on my way then." He quickly made his way to the door before ducking as Kushina threw a vase aimed at his head.

"You're getting closer," he mumbled with a smile before walking out and closing the door behind him. Kushina just scoffed and looked at the paperwork in the room. She sighed while leaning back on the chair.

"I hate this," her violet eyes stared sadly at the ceiling. "Come back home soon, Minato-kun…I miss you."

The dream she had while sleeping under the paperwork returned in her head and she leaned back, a sad smile on her lips. She crossed her arms over her chest and hugged herself.

The dream was so nice. She dreamed that she held Naruto in her arms. The bright sun-kissed mop of hair on his head tickling her cheek as she held him near her. She even imagined him giggling as she tickled his tummy.

Kushina suddenly moved forward and slammed her fist onto the desk. She tensed her muscles and her shoulders shook.

"My baby," she cried as tears fell from her eyes. It had been a while since she'd cried about this but every once in a while, it hit her like a ton of bricks. It was few and far between but when they hit her, they'd hit her hard. She cried for a while, a lot longer than usual. But after some time, she felt her tears start to die down.

She wiped her eyes and looked at the paperwork. She sighed and stood up; she might as well get to work.

Kushina paused and went into the closet; no one said she couldn't have a late night snack.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Naruto looked around for the thousandth time that day. His nerves were on edge and the hairs on the back of his head were constantly standing straight.

Something was going on, but he had no idea what.

"Naruto?" Naruto blinked and looked at Hinata, who sat beside him. Next to her was Daichi munching on a ration bar. Next to him was Deidara, also eating a ration bar, but more conservatively than Daichi, who was acting like he hadn't eaten in days.

"Are you okay?" Hinata asked and Naruto nodded, turning to face the fire keeping everyone warm. Though, apparently, Kurotsuchi wasn't absorbing any of the heat since she was so close to Naruto. His personal space was being invaded and to top it off, Hinata didn't seem to be in the best of moods either.

"Peachy," Naruto answered. "Warm enough, yet?" Naruto asked Kurotsuchi who only hummed.

"I'll let you know when I'm good," she said. Naruto sighed.

"So," Hinata started, getting Naruto's attention. "We're going to Iwa first and then you guys are sending a message to Konoha?" Hinata asked and Deidara nodded.

"That's right, hm," he answered before continuing with his 'meal'.

"I see," she said, all but enthusiastic. Naruto stared at her from the corner of his eyes before looking at the fire again. He then stood, facing his sensei.

"I'm going to go train," he said before walking away, not letting Deidara say anything. He just blinked before shrugging.

"Wait!" Hinata said as she stood and went after him. Kurotsuchi just grit her teeth before running after the two. Daichi and Deidara were just left blinking at their forms before looking at each other. A thought hit them at the same time as a smile graced their lips.

"Their ration bars are mine!" they both said simultaneously. Prior to actually getting to their feet, the fire changed from bright orange and yellow to an even brighter blue and white. This stalled the two's movements.

"Hello, my pretties," Deidara's eyes widened slightly at the voice, it sounded very familiar. The two then heard a soft thump behind them, and, when they spun to see who or what made that thump, they were greeted with the sight of a blue-haired beauty with tattered black clothes.

"Hiya!" Daichi greeted happily before flinching when the girl took out two kunai. Deidara and Daichi shared a look before sighing.

***.***

There was an old saying that popped into Naruto's head at the moment.

Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

"Why don't you just leave him alone? It's obvious he left to get away from you," Kurotsuchi said sagely to Hinata who remained passive, not showing any emotion as she endured Kurotsuchi's verbal assault.

"It's fine if you don't like me, but I need to discuss something with Naruto-kun," Hinata told her but Kurotsuchi just kept up her glare.

"And hurt him again? I don't think so," Naruto rolled his eyes as he watched the conversation continue from there. Still, Naruto couldn't completely get mad at Kurotsuchi since she was just trying to protect him, like a friend. But he wasn't a little boy anymore; she had to know that he could fight his own battles now.

"Kurotsuchi," Naruto said, his tone flat. She looked at him and saw the seriousness in his eyes. There was no need for any words to be spoken. She blinked and frowned before turning to Hinata. She didn't want to let her talk to Naruto but she couldn't disagree if he wanted to as well.

"Fine," she began walking back to camp, leaving Naruto and Hinata alone. The two just stared at each other before Naruto sat down on the ground. Hinata walked up to him and sat in front of him on her knees.

"So, what's going on?" Naruto asked, forcing a smile onto his lips. Hinata smiled as well, though hers wasn't as forced as Naruto's.

"I have a few things I want to talk about," she said. "Mostly about…us."

"Okay," Naruto said, swallowing down his fear. He was hoping to talk to Hinata about that, too, but not until they made it to Iwa. Damn his luck.

Hinata paused, going over her thoughts and the words she wanted to say. Naruto faintly heard movement in the forest and sighed.

"Go away, Kurotsuchi!" Naruto said, loud enough for her to hear. Hinata took in a deep breath and turned to look at the area where Naruto was looking at. When nothing came out, Hinata activated her kekkei genkai. She saw that Kurotsuchi was, in fact, hiding behind a tree. But her chakra network…

Kurotsuchi walked out of her hiding spot and laughed sheepishly.

"I couldn't resist," she said and looked at Naruto. The second they connected, Naruto snarled and stood. He walked up to Kurotsuchi and grabbed her by the collar before raising her off the ground.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Naruto asked, and Kurotsuchi blinked in confusion.

"Wha-?" Before she could even continue, Naruto slammed her into the ground, causing the Earth to shake a little.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata shouted as she stood and went to stop him. Naruto turned to her, unintentionally showing her his crimson, fox-like eyes.

"Stay back!" he told her before being kicked back by Kurotsuchi. He flipped and landed on his feet, growling as Kurotsuchi jumped to her feet. She rolled her neck, getting popping sounds and a sigh after it was done.

"You're not Kurotsuchi," Naruto snarled at the fake and she smiled wickedly.

"What gave me away?" she asked sweetly and Naruto wanted to rip the imposter's face off.

"Many things, but mostly, it was the eyes," Kurotsuchi tilted her head and pouted.

"Well that's unfortunate for me," she said but a smirk appeared on her lips as she took out a kunai. Without warning or indication, she flicked the kunai straight for Hinata.

Quicker than the kunai could reach her, Hinata pulled out a kunai of her own and deflected the projectile. She dropped to a defensive stance; it was a little awkward to pull off with her dislocated arm but Hinata managed to get it done.

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto asked with little to no patience. Kurotsuchi just chuckled, her feminine voice gone and replaced with a deeper and darker one.

"I go by Hiroku," Hiroku said as Kurotsuchi's image changed to the man who had kidnapped Hinata.

"You," Naruto said breathlessly, surprised by the turn of events. Suddenly, his anger rose and he glared at the man.

"I'm glad you remember me, my prey," Hiroku said as he made hand signs, making Naruto stop to prepare himself. "**Water Style: Exploding Water Shock Wave!**" he shouted as he spat up water. Controlling it with his chakra, he created a small wave and rode on top of it, heading for Naruto.

Hinata jumped up a tree and glued her feet to the bark with her chakra, waiting for the wave to end.

Naruto ran towards the wave and used his chakra to give him the boost he needed to jump over the wave and land on top of it, turning to face Hiroku.

Hiroku turned and the wave made a U-turn, once again heading for Naruto. Sucking in as much as he could and using some of the Kyūbi's chakra to give his jutsu extra power, Naruto made hand signs.

"**Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!**" A rough-looking dragon of fire rushed out of Naruto's mouth and collided with the tidal wave, reducing it to steam. Naruto looked around, keeping his senses on alert as he stood on top of the water. He took a second to take a breather as well; manipulating the fire the way he did was no easy feat and it took a lot of concentration to keep it that way. He was glad Roshi made him meditate a lot or else that jutsu would've looked like a burst of flames and been less effective than it had been.

"**Water Style,**" Naruto barely heard Hiroku but he managed to pick up on what he whispered. Still, he had no idea where the bastard was. "**Water Dragon Jutsu!**"

A beast let out a fierce battle-cry as it headed for Naruto. Hearing which direction the beast was coming from let Naruto jump into the sky just in time to avoid it. Unfortunately, the water dragon twisted its liquid body and spotted Naruto. With another roar, the beast headed for Naruto with its mouth opened and ready to devour the Iwa-nin.

"**Shadow Clone Jutsu!**" Naruto shouted and a clone appeared by his side. The clone grabbed on to Naruto's right arm and threw him to the left, helping the original escape the water dragon.

Not interested in the one that got away, the dragon closed its huge mouth on the clone and exploded, showering the entire land under it.

Naruto landed on top of a tree, watching the dragon explode. His instincts told him to jump and when he did, he had avoided the kunai thrown by Hiroku.

"Stand still!" he cursed as he followed Naruto. Naruto kept dodging Hiroku's kunai and managed to throw his own. This continued for a while longer until they both stood on top of the water Hiroku summoned, facing each other. They waited for the other to make the first move and when neither did, Naruto growled.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked. "Who sent you?"

"I am Hiroku, former shinobi of Kumogakure who was sent to deliver an unsealed Hyuga to my village," he answered and Naruto's right eyebrow rose.

"Former?" he asked and Hiroku laughed maniacally as his chakra surrounded him.

"With this power, I don't need my village. I can defeat anyone!"

"You're insane!" Naruto shouted as his body shivered from the amount of chakra the man was radiating. "It's over, eventually my sensei will be back and you'll die. You've done all of this for nothing. Your village will lose a ninja in vain,"

"You don't get it," Hiroku said with an insane smile. "I'm not doing this for anyone anymore; I'm doing this for the hunt."

"The hunt?" Naruto asked, clearly confused by the man's words.

"You two are my prey, my kills," he said hysterically. "After I kill you, the little Hyūga will be next."

"WHAT?" Naruto's growl intensified and his fists tightened until his knuckles were white.

'_**Let me help, my host,'**_ Yōko pleaded and Naruto mentally scoffed.

'_I can take care of this bastard myself,'_ Naruto told her and she scoffed in reply.

'_**With all due respect, my host, I feel that I should disagree,'**_ she said and Naruto growled as he ran at Hiroku.

'_Shut up and watch!'_ he yelled in his head as he evaded a kick from Hiroku and threw a punch of his own. The man sidestepped to the left, causing Naruto to stop his movements and face the man. Unfortunately, he took too long to do that as the man grabbed Naruto by his face

Naruto's eyes widened at the man's speed before Hiroku pushed him away with all his might.

"Gah!" Naruto cried out as he was sent through a tree before his momentum decreased and his back slid against the water, slowly going deeper into the water. He groaned as he shook his head and swam for the surface, rubbing his back as he used his chakra to stand again.

'_**I see your point, my host,'**_ Yōko said with a hint of sarcasm and mirth. Naruto was too angry to notice, all he heard was her words. _**'Why won't you let me help?'**_ she asked and Naruto stood, spitting out the blood in his mouth.

'_You __are a giant chakra beast with destructive powers and poisonous chakra,'_ Naruto answered, his tone not very friendly. _'I don't want to go on a killing-spree just because I couldn't control your malicious chakra!'_

'_**My chakra will greatly increase your speed,**__** strength, proficiency, and reflexes. And the anger…Anger is just anger. It isn't good. It isn't bad. It just is. What you do with it is what matters. It's like anything else. You can use it to build or to destroy. You just have to make the choice.**__**'**__**  
**_  
_'Cons__tructive anger,'_Naruto rephrased, his voice dripping sarcasm.

_**'Also known as passion, or so I heard one of my previous hosts call it,'**_ she said quietly. _**'Passion has overthrown tyrants and freed prisoners and slaves. Passion has brought justice where the**__**re was savagery. Passion has created freedom where there was nothing but fear. Passion has helped souls rise from the ashes of their horrible lives and build something better, stronger, more beautiful.'**_

Naruto couldn't even retort to that. What she had said was the truth. It was odd hearing it come from her, of all things, but it was the truth nonetheless.

'…_what do you suggest?'_ Naruto asked, and heard Yōko giggle.

'_**I seem to recall you practicing your three-tailed form,'**_this caused Naruto's eyes to widen.

'_Are you crazy? The last time I tried it, I almost killed everyone around me! Roshi and Han-nii forbade me from doing it without proper supervision!' _Naruto explained and within her cell, Yōko nodded.

'_**I remember that. Regardless, I still think you shou**__**ld try it,'**_ she suggested and Naruto shook his head.

'_I'm not putting Hinata-chan and everyone else in danger because I can't control your evil chakra,'_ Naruto said with authority. He didn't even want to imagine a dead Hinata in his demonic arms.

'_**That won**__**'t happen,'**_ Yōko stated with confidence and assurance. _**'I will guarantee that she won't be hurt because of us. I'll even guarantee that you will be in control,'**_ she added and Naruto hummed to himself, thinking over the situation.

Outside, Naruto saw Hiroku staring at him oddly before smiling with a predator's smile and running at him at full speed. Naruto closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. When he opened them again, he found himself standing in front of the Kyūbi's cage. The seal still intact on the cage.

'_**Time is fading, master,'**_ Yōko said with slight worry in her voice. Naruto just stared at her with an expressionless mask before slamming his hand on the cage.

'_Let's do it!'_ as soon as he thought that, Hiroku appeared in front of him and shoved a kunai in Naruto's stomach. Naruto's eyes widened as pain started to radiate in his gut. He spat out more blood and fell to his knees.

"It's over," Hiroku said with a sneer. He frowned when Naruto smiled and his shoulders shook from the laughter bubbling in his chest. Hiroku sneered and jumped away when red chakra began to envelope Naruto. It surrounded him like a shield before two lumps grew and stretched out on top of his head, forming long ears. Another three lumps formed on his rear and morphed into tails.

Naruto grabbed onto the handle of the kunai before callously ripping it out of his gut and tossing it aside. He stood, his crimson eyes staring at Hiroku with indifference before he dropped to all fours and passion gleamed in his eyes.

Hiroku noticed this and his right hand shot to his pocket. He gripped the talisman tightly before hesitating and releasing it. _'Now is_ _not the time.'_

Naruto shot off his place, racing down in a zigzag line to Hiroku who only had time to blink before he realized that Naruto had a claw heading for his head. He jumped back but was nicked in the cheek.

"You brat!" he yelled as he began rushing through hand signs. He only made it half way before Naruto was on top of him again, his right claw reared back to slice him to pieces. Once again, he couldn't move fast enough to avoid the attack so he raised both hands up and bit his bottom lip as Naruto's claw cut his forearms.

Naruto spun in midair and drove his right foot into Hiroku's stomach. Hiroku skidded back, sliding over ten feet of water before coming to a standstill. He looked up and saw Naruto taking in a deep breath. Expecting the worse, Hiroku stomped the water, making a column rise. With a few fast hand signs, he formed a sphere of water to envelope him.

Just as he did, Naruto released his breath but instead of just air, he released a giant ball of fire.

'_No hand signs?'_ he thought as the ball of fire met his protective sphere of water. He struggled to keep the water from opening but it was a losing battle. Soon enough, the water dissolved into steam and left him wide open.

"Gotta move before-" he was interrupted as Naruto appeared behind him. Hiroku reacted on reflex as he turned and punched Naruto in the face. The blow sent Naruto reeling back, holding his face. The blow left Hiroku holding his right hand. That chakra hanging around him was acidic.

'_Damn it!'_ he cursed as his attention returned to his prey, only to receive a harsh, fierce kick to the face. He ricocheted off the water and into the air, spinning from the momentum given to him by Naruto's kick.

Naruto lowered back to all fours before sprinting after Hiroku. Without the need of hand signs, three more Narutos appeared by his side, each with a demon cloak of their own.

'_**How does it feel?'**_ Naruto heard Yōko ask and he smiled sinisterly.

'_Like I'm invincible,'_ he answered with a predatory growl. _'And this rush is amazing!'_ Deep inside his mindscape, Yōko smirked evilly her tails swishing behind her.

'_**It pleases you, my host?'**_ she asked innocently, to which Naruto nodded.

'_It does,'_ he told her in his mind as the four Narutos patiently waited for Hiroku to come back down. Before the man could even touch the surface of the water, the four Narutos sprang into action and began to assault him from all directions. One of them swung his right claw forward and formed a tornado to attack Hiroku. He was sent in the air again, only to be attacked by Naruto and his clones again.

Hinata watched from a distance, amazed by Naruto and his performance.

'_Three tails? He can control three tails? That's…That's incredible…'_ she thought, as Naruto and his clones continued to slice, cut, punch, and kick the man several times until each jumped back and let the man fall. He hit the water, his body floating on top like a dead man's.

'_**Would you like to learn a new technique?'**_ Yōko asked and Naruto hummed.

'_Depends,' _he answered and Yōko began explaining it. As she did, a smirk appeared on each of the clones' lips. _'Let's do it!'_

Mixing the Kyūbi's fire chakra with his, Naruto felt heat radiating from his stomach and throat. Puffing his chest out and tilting his head back, the four Narutos felt power build up inside them.

'_**Not yet,'**_ she said, monitoring each Naruto's attack.

'_I feel like I'm about to burst!'_ Naruto thought. He then heard Hiroku groan as he began to stand.

Yōko waited another few seconds. _**'Now!'**_

Without a second thought, each Naruto bent forward and spat out a ball of fire at Hiroku who looked up at the last second. It was no ordinary fireball however, as the Kyūbi's chakra made it more potent and explosive.

The fireballs collided and the resulting blast shot up a column of spiraling fire into the air.

The shockwave disrupted the clones and sent Naruto flying back before righting himself and panting. That took a lot out of him.

"Did I win?" Naruto asked no one in particular.

"Not quite," a voice answered behind him but before he could turn, he felt sharp metal puncture his skin and dig deep into his back. "Gotcha," Hiroku said with a hysterical laugh.

Naruto fell forward and jumped, landing away from him. Naruto felt the Kyūbi's power recede and he cursed under his breath. His strength was fading, making him fall to one knee.

'_What's going o__n?'_ Naruto asked her impatiently.

'_**This wound is fatal,'**_ she informed him with a calm tone.'_**I need as much chakra as I can get to heal it. I wouldn't want you do die so young, my host,'**_ she finished before Naruto felt her power completely leave him.

"Shit!" he said as he pulled the kunai out of his back.

"It's time, boy!" Hiroku yelled as he ran at him, another kunai in his right hand.

"I won't die here!" Naruto shouted as he stood for a second before getting lightheaded and falling to both knees. Naruto closed his eyes and hung his head forward.

Hiroku was only ten feet from his victim and his hand tensed, prepared to make the final strike.

"**Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!**" Hiroku stopped just as Hinata jumped down from her hiding spot and came running at him. He smirked as she came up to him with her left index and middle fingers pointing out. Her hands were swift and accurate, so much so that even Hiroku was having trouble avoiding all of them.

"What the hell?" he said as he jumped away from Hinata. Said girl just slid into her fighting stance and smiled.

"Last time we fought, I was tired and weak. Even with my injury, I'm still fast enough to hit you with my attack," she said confidently and the man scoffed angrily at this. He couldn't see it but Hinata was internally panicking. There was no way she could completely shut down his chakra system with one hand. It was possible but chances are, he's not going to wait for her to adjust.

"You're going to lose," he said as he ran at Hinata, who waited patiently. He jumped into the air and spun, extending his right foot out. Hinata ducked and jumped back when Hiroku extended his left leg to keep her from taking advantage of his back being turned.

Finding an opening, Hinata rushed in and sent a chakra-powered palm to his chest. He turned and managed to hit her right arm with a kick. She bit her lower lip to keep from screaming out in pain. Ignoring the pain, Hinata poked both his legs twice before Hiroku grabbed her by her throat and pushed her away as he fell.

His legs felt like gelatin and he growled as he stood back up.

Hinata's arm was on fire from the pain coursing through it and she moaned as she used a tree nearby to help her up. She noticed that Hiroku walked with a limp but that didn't stop him from walking towards Naruto, who was still recovering from his latest injury.

"**Lava Style,**" a voice mumbled. "**Quicklime Congealing Jutsu!**" Blobs of quicklime were sent flying towards Hiroku but he didn't react fast enough. He was hit on his shoulders, his left leg and both his feet. The hot burnt lime melted into his skin, leaving him screaming in agony. Because of the water, the quicklime quickly became solid, like cement.

"Hey asshole!" he looked up to see Naruto running towards him, his right hand reared back. With every step he took, blood fell into the water but Naruto didn't care.

"This is for Hinata-chan!" Naruto shouted as he thrust his right fist forward. "**Explosion Style: Land-mine**** Fist!**" The second his fist touched Hiroku's face; it generated an explosion that rocked the surrounding area. As a charcoal figure was sent flying away, Naruto ricocheted back, having made a mistake.

Usually, the jutsu would have obliterated the object the user touches into nothingness. Using the correct amount of chakra helps stop debris from hitting the user and even negates the recoil. However, Naruto put too much chakra into the attack, resulting in an explosion that sent both victims flying away with cuts and burns.

Before Naruto even hit the ground, he was unconscious. Hinata ran towards him as fast as she could and grabbed him before he drowned.

Kurotsuchi appeared by them, facing the direction where Hiroku went.

"You guys okay?" she asked and Hinata nodded after inspecting Naruto.

"He needs to rest for now," she answered and Kurotsuchi nodded.

"If he's not dead, nothing can kill him," Kurotsuchi said to no one, mostly to herself. Hinata hesitated to ask but she needed to know.

"What was that technique Naruto used?" she asked and heard Kurotsuchi chuckle.

"It's an Explosion jutsu Deidara-sensei taught him. He tried to teach Daichi and me but we couldn't pull it off. We didn't have the chakra needed to do it. Naruto did, and he managed to get it down, for the most part,"

She turned and playfully glared at the unconscious blond. "Deidara-sensei told him not to use it without his permission but the idiot never listens," she added.

"This isn't over," Hiroku said as he willed his body to stand. In the end, he had to use the tree beside him to help him stand. Hinata gasped and Kurotsuchi turned to face him. His face was badly burned, to the point that it seemed unreal for him to even be alive. A light shined in his chest and his skin began to rejuvenate.

"What the-?" Kurotsuchi took a step back, shocked by the fact that his body was slowly healing from the wounds he gained. Soon enough, he was as good as new, except the pupils in his eyes became slit, like a cat's. Blue chakra bubbled around him and formed two ears and a tail.

"This can't be," Hinata mumbled as she stared in fear-inspired awe.

"Get ready," was the only thing Hiroku said before zipping past the gap between them and appearing in front of Kurotsuchi. She jumped back to avoid his strike but couldn't avoid it all. His chakra claw managed to hit her left arm and send her away, hitting a tree with a sickening thud.

She yelled in pain and would've screamed more but Hiroku was over her in a second and had her by her throat.

"You're in the way of me and my prey," his grip tightened and Kurotsuchi whimpered.

"Get away from her!" Hinata shouted as she ran up to him. She was confused when he didn't even attempt to move, but she didn't give it too much thought. She thrust her left palm forward and to her confusion, her strike connected with his chest.

He didn't even flinch.

"Nice try," he said as Hinata reeled her hand back as she felt the chakra surrounding him start to burn it. Hiroku carelessly tossed Kurotsuchi at Hinata, knocking her out as they both landed and began to sink to the ground. Kurotsuchi resurfaced, holding Hinata in her arms.

"Wake up!" she demanded as she slapped Hinata's face. Hinata moaned and squinted her eyes before slowly opening them. They were still glassy from the hit.

"Time to end this," Hiroku said as he slowly made his way to Kurotsuchi and Hinata.

"This is really a bad time to be out like a light!" Kurotsuchi mentioned as Hinata gradually started getting her bearings.

"My pouch," she said dreamily. "Bomb…" Kurotsuchi opened Hinata's weapon pouch from under water and found a round object. She took it out and saw that it was small black sphere. Kurotsuchi tossed the sphere into the air and it exploded, releasing a bright light.

Hiroku was momentarily blinded but it didn't last. However, it didn't need to last forever, just long enough for Kurotsuchi and Hinata to recover Naruto and run.

Away from the madman, Kurotsuchi rested to catch her breath while Hinata fought to stay conscious, holding onto the branch she rested on with Naruto in her arms.

"What now?" Kurotsuchi thought aloud. "Deidara-sensei and Daichi are busy fighting some girl and we have a crazy guy going after us?"

"And you're choking to death," Hiroku added as he grabbed Kurotsuchi's neck in the blink of an eye. He lifted her off the water and tightened his grip as he watched her squirm.

Kurotsuchi struggled against his grip but the more she did, the tighter his grip got. Eventually, her movements became slow and sluggish until they stopped all together. Bored with his current kill, he tossed Kurotsuchi away like an old toy and turned to face his original prey.

"That boy will die by my hands," he said as his eyes twitched from Hinata to Naruto. "His blood will taste sweet."

Hinata could barely make out the image of Hiroku but she still grabbed a kunai from her pouch and held it defensively, albeit a little shaky.

"How pathetic," he laughed as he slapped the kunai out of Hinata's hands. Hiroku stood over Hinata, smiling like a madman. He did, however, find Hinata's defiant mood annoying, but, then again, if his game wasn't lively it wouldn't be worth hunting in the first place.

"Say goodbye to your mate," he said as he cocked his claw up to finish them off. He didn't know when exactly that oddly shaped kunai hit his leg but, then again, it didn't matter, he'd heal from it in no time. However, he wasn't expecting a flash of yellow to appear in front of him and kick him in the face with enough force to send him back.

He growled as he looked up. "Who dares come between me and my prey?" he barked but was surprised to see an older version of his prey. For some reason, Hiroku couldn't put a name on the face he was seeing. He couldn't even remember why he should fear the man in front of him but he did understand the concept of being cautious.

"If you touch them one more time, the next thing you'll see is you death," Minato growled as he held another of his tri-bladed kunai in his right hand.

"Leave," Hiroku said as his chakra tail swished behind him. "I have the power of ten Kages and can easily destroy the likes of you," he said as he ran towards Minato. Minato just dropped his kunai and before Hiroku could even tell when it happened, he had Minato pointing a kunai to his neck with his other hand on his shoulder.

'_Fast,'_ Hiroku thought and it finally hit him; Minato was radiating high levels of killing intent and Hiroku could only wonder how he only just now noticed. Still, he wasn't going to go down without a fight.

His tail shot up and attempted to wrap around Minato but once again, he proved to be too quick as he stood beside the kunai he dropped earlier.

"Bastard!" Hiroku shouted as he blindly rushed to Minato, not noticing that Minato turned his right hand back. Just as he was over him, Minato once again disappeared in a flash of yellow.

Minato then wordlessly drove a blue ball of spinning chakra into Hiroku's back, drilling it into his spine and forcing him into the water. He was sent all the way down to the bottom where he cracked the ground. Hiroku glared up at the water, waiting for his newfound strength to heal his wounds. He looked down at the talisman resting on his chest.

Minato took this time to grab the semi-conscious Hinata and Naruto and get them to safer ground. He left for a second but that was only to return with an unconscious Kurotsuchi. He checked her pulse and sighed in relief when he felt it. He took the three to a clearing where the water was just shallow enough for Naruto and Hinata to rest without fear of drowning.

He took a second to stare at Naruto a while longer, tears staining his sky-blue eyes. "My…son…"

Minato frowned with fury at the thought of not only his goddaughter but his son being attacked by that man. He used his infamous Hiraishin technique to appear right by Hiroku's side. With the element of surprise, Minato grabbed Hiroku's shoulder and spun him around. Although they were underwater still, Minato was able to fully turn Hiroku to face him.

Hiroku was surprised to say the least, especially when Minato slapped a seal on top of his head. With a glare and a kick to the stomach, Minato used his infamous technique to get out of the water and next to Hinata who was holding one of his tri-bladed kunai. With a half Tiger seal, moments later, electricity sparked off in the distance followed by a loud and furious roar.

"I'll be back, Hinata-chan." Hinata nodded, still too out of it to pay too much attention to what was going on. Minato made a mad dash to Hiroku who was panting in pain, his body randomly twitching from the electricity.

"Like it?" Minato asked with a serious expression. "I had my student charge up the seal with his lightning chakra." Hiroku continued to stare at Minato before his eyes widened.

"The…the Yellow Flash," Hiroku mumbled stupidly as he finally remembered Minato's nickname. Minato just smirked.

"That's me," he said as he flowed through hand signs. He kept a one-handed Ram seal on his left hand as his right went into his pouch. He took out another seal with the word 'Seal' on it. In a flash, Minato slammed it on Hiroku's back and jumped back when Hiroku tried to slice him with his claws.

The seal's effect was instantaneous; it started to suck up the acidic and powerful chakra surrounding Hiroku.

"What are you doing to me?" Hiroku asked, feeling like the seal was draining all of his powers.

"Taking away that demonic chakra from your system. You're welcome," Minato said. When the chakra was all gone, the seal fell off his back and harmlessly floated on top of the water.

The water surrounding the area also began to recede as Hiroku fell to his knees, weakened and defeated.

"I'm not done, not yet!" he shouted as he ran at Minato with the intention to kill. His body ached and was shutting down on him, and he knew it, but he didn't care. He wanted to at least take someone down with him.

Suddenly, he came to a halt and looked down at his body. "GAH!" he yelled in anguish as it felt like his whole body was on fire.

"**Eight Trigrams,**" a voice said with the calmness of a gentle breeze. "**One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms.**" In the blink of an eye, a dark blue blur appeared and began to shut down all of Hiroku's chakra points at speeds he couldn't begin to track.

The attack continued until the last of Hiroku's chakra points was closed, causing him to fall to his knees, his body too numb to feel anything.

He looked up dazedly, meeting the Hyūga Patriarch's eyes. They were as cold as any glaciers in the arctic.

'_A Hyūga?' _he thought_._ Without mercy, Hiashi reared his right palm back before thrusting it forward to the man's chest, right over his heart. When the hit connected, the man felt his heart shut down before falling into the darkness.

Hiashi sighed and relaxed his body at seeing Hiroku fall to the ground, motionless. He walked over to where Minato hid the two teens. He saw Minato staring at him with a smile, and he smiled back. His attention then shifted to Hinata who finally lost consciousness and slept soundly by Naruto.

Hiashi met Minato's eyes once more and they smiled tiredly.

"We found them," he said, and Hiashi nodded in satisfaction. He gave Naruto a once-over and was surprised to see that he looked a lot like his father with the exception of shorter blond locks and the whisker marks on his cheeks.

"Hey, that cat-girl was hot, you gotta admit," Minato and Hiashi heard Obito say as he, Kakashi and two others came walking towards them.

"Tch, I won't," Deidara said, using his student to help him walk.

"Shoot, I will," Daichi admitted, only to receive a harsh punch to the top of his head, courtesy of his sensei.

Obito and Kakashi laughed at his expense until they were in the presence of their superiors.

"Konoha's Yellow Flash," Deidara said, giving Minato an impassive expression. Surprisingly, he smiled. "Nice to meet you."

Everyone blinked at this before Minato smiled back. "Same here."

Deidara then turned to Kakashi and Obito. "Thanks again for the help. That girl was a handful," Kakashi nodded passively and Obito chuckled and placed his hands behind his head.

"She was nothing. In fact, I'm pretty sure even Kakashi could've taken her on all by himself," Obito joked, only to receive a jab to his ribs. "Ah, you jerk!" he yelled to Kakashi who only smiled under his mask.

Minato chuckled as he picked up his son and gently placed him on his shoulders. At this, Kakashi and Obito stared at him with wide eyes.

"Is that…?" Obito and Kakashi asked at the same time, receiving a big bright smile and a nod from Minato.

"He looks like you." Everyone was once again surprised by Deidara's words. Minato gave Deidara a soft glare.

"How do you know?" Deidara shook his head. Daichi just watched, looking at his sensei carefully.

"I always knew, it wasn't hard to figure out really," he answered. "I got a look at him around the time Lord Tsuchikage announced his adoption of him."

Minato felt his jaw tense and his body coil up but then realized what he was doing and relaxed.

"He looked like you as a baby and when I heard of Konoha's 'loss', I was able to put the pieces together," Deidara finished explaining.

"So Naruto…?"Daichi began and received a nod from Deidara.

"Was born in Konoha, yes. In fact, he's the son of their Kage,"

"I'd think you'd be more hostile against us, considering we're Konoha nin," Hiashi said and Deidara shook his head.

"To be frank, I don't really follow this 'hate-Konoha' custom we have back home. It's just sad really," Deidara said, and Daichi hummed to himself.

"Thank you," Minato said, this time surprising Deidara. "For looking over my son." Deidara smirked.

"It wasn't only me but you're welcome," he replied. "You know, you have an interesting kid there. He learns jutsus just as fast as he eats ramen." At this, all four Konoha nins had to smile.

"But he manages to drive you crazy all the same," Deidara added and Minato looked at him before extending his right hand. Deidara stared at it before shaking it.

"We should be going," Minato said and everyone nodded. "I'll take these two to Konoha's hospital. I'll come back for you guys once they're checked in," Minato told his team, receiving a nod from each of them. Hiashi handed him his daughter and Minato placed her on his free shoulder. In a flash, he was gone.

Deidara stared at the space where they used to be before sighing.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Kushina sighed in frustration; she hated paperwork!

She was tempted to leave all the paperwork up to Minato when he came back but she figured since he was bringing back Hinata, this was the least she could do.

Still, it was hell to get through this and she wanted to burn each paper individually and watch them turn to beautiful black ash.

A burn for a burn…

Still, she couldn't wait for Minato to come back. When he did, he'd be in for the biggest surprise of his life. She knew she was surprised when she first learned that…

A flash of yellow sent the remaining stack of paperwork in the air. Kushina blinked before growling and standing.

"What the hell?" she yelled as she pulled out her katana from under her Hokage robes. Before she could unsheathe it, she saw that it was Minato with his back turned to her. "Minato-kun? What's wrong?"

He turned and she gasped and smiled. "You found her!" she said as she ran over to him, only to stop as she noticed the other teen in his hands. She took in his face and his hair. The whisker marks.

"M-Minato-k-kun?" she stuttered in shock and saw tears streaming down his cheeks but that bright smile that she always loved to see. She hadn't seen a smile this happy and care-free since Naruto was born.

"This is Naruto…our son," he said with his smile growing wider with every word. Kushina shook as she slowly walked up to him. Tears swelled up in her eyes as she lightly touched his whiskered cheeks.

She immediately grabbed him and hugged him as if he was going to disappear again.

"My boy!" she cried, placing her forehead against his. Her heart felt like it was going to burst from all the love and happiness she felt. Her son was back in her arms and Minato was still alive. This was all Kushina could ask for.

She cried and cried for the longest time, not noticing when Minato left. Finally, she looked up and saw Hinata sitting on a chair and staring at her with a sleepy smile with a few tears of her own.

"Come here," Kushina said and Hinata weakly got up and knelt in front of her. Kushina showed her Naruto with a proud and incredibly happy smile. "This is my son!" she told her and Hinata nodded lazily.

"I f-found him a couple of days a-ago," Hinata said softly and Kushina stared at her incredulously. "I was going to try to bring him back but Lord Hokage beat me to it," Hinata said and wiped the tears from her eyes.

Kushina didn't hesitate to put her arm around Hinata and hug her fiercely. "I love you Hinata-chan," she said and Hinata hugged her back.

"I love you, too, mother," she said and started feeling her grip on consciousness slip. "W-We need to go…" Kushina looked at her and finally noticed her injuries. She looked at Naruto and saw that his were worse.

"Cat!" She shouted and an ANBU with a cat mask appeared. "Get her to the hospital. I'll be there with my son," Cat nodded and helped Hinata up and then disappeared. Kushina stood and gave her son one more look before using the body flicker technique to get to the hospital.

**[*.*.*.*]**

After Minato finished bring the last of his team home, Daichi turned to Deidara.

"You're just going to let them take Naruto?" Daichi asked openly, and Deidara nodded.

"Would you stop a father from reuniting with his son?"

Daichi shook his head then followed it with a frown. "Still, you know he hates him, right?"

Deidara nodded again. "But that's something Naruto's going to have to get over. You only have one father." Daichi bit his lower lip, thinking over his words. He accepted it without another word. "Let's get Kurotsuchi and head for a nearby town," he finished, and Daichi nodded.

**[*.*.*.*]**

"Geez, what hit me?" Naruto moaned as he sat up before wincing and grabbing his stomach. In fact, every inch of his body ached. His eyes sprang open and he looked around. "A hospital? What the hell?"

He looked at the bed adjacent to him and saw Hinata sleeping. He felt his lips curve upward as he stared at her.

'_Even when she sleeps, she's beautiful.'_ He then blushed at seeing her chest rise and fall from her breathing and looked away. He turned his gaze to the window and saw the sun shining and the trees blowing in the breeze. There were also people walking by and even a shinobi running by over the rooftops. When he saw the forehead protector, his fist clenched tightly.

'_Konoha shinobi__,'_ he growled in his mind. He heard the door to his room slide open and when he turned to see who it was, his eyes widened.

"You," Naruto said breathlessly, seeing Minato walk in and smile tiredly.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed it!**

**I'm pretty evil for ending the chapter this early but hey, what're you going to do?**

**wait for the next chapter hopefully...**

**Before anyone says anything, yes, Naruto is back in Konoha... It wasn't originally in my plan but thanks to Hinatasgreatestfan and his helpful advice, I changed my mind...**

**However, I still have a lot of surprises for everyone so don't count this story out just yet, give it a chance...**

**Next chapter will deal with Naruto's reunion with Minato and Kushina and I'll talk more about Kakashi's and Obito's past and the changes I made... And maybe, just maybe, Naruto and Hinata will run into Sasuke and Kiba o.O...**

**Shit's going to really go down when they do...**

**Guess we'll see what happens...**

**Till next time!**

**Next Chapter: Family, Friends and Rivals?**

******Good luck with whatever and if you got a problem with me or one of my stories, please feel free to: Deal with it, Get over it or Choke on it...****  
**


	9. Chapter 9? More or Less?

**Hiya!**

**Ok, I'm basically done with chapetr 9 of Stolen Hero..**

**Not bad if I do say so myself...**

**The problem is... I think its too long o.O**

**About +17k words or so... maybe more..**

**Sorry, I can be an overachiever sometimes...**

**So, here's my proposal...**

**Post the chapter, all +17k words or divide it up into two chapters, 9k words a piece...**

**It's not that I don't care but i just want to make sure I don't overwhelm anyone with my biggest chapter ever, if I'd decided to post it...**

**So, let me know...**

**After a day or two, I'll take this Author's Note down and post the next chapter, 9k or 17k, whichever...**

**Thanks a lot...**

**Good luck with whatever!**

**P.S. I finally got Ninja Storm 2 for the PS3... I'm not the best but I'm already a chunin so i think i'm so-so... If you want a fight, PM me and we'll exchange PSN and have ourselves a fight..**

**Peace!**


	10. Family, Friends and Rivals?

**Yo, what's up?**

**I decided to do a little of both and divide the chapter into two.. But, this one is about 15k instead..****.**

**I'm with my Tenshi right now so uhm... ^^; I'm busy, i guess...**

**Talk in second author note!**

_**"No, I am your father!"  
**_**-Darth Vader**

**Chapter 9: Family, Friends and Rivals?**

**I don't own Naruto, at all...**

**And I don't say it enough but I'd like to thank my Tenshi for inspiring me to write and also to Hinatasgreatestfan for always helping me out when it comes to all the small details...**

* * *

Instincts yelled at Naruto to jump out of his bed and shove a kunai straight through Minato's heart… Multiple times…

…And maybe once or twice in the face just for the hell of it.

Still, Naruto stayed where he lay and just stared at Minato as he slowly made his way to his bedside. Naruto's cold azure eyes never swayed from the older blond who sat down next to him.

The two just stared at each other and neither said anything, the only sound coming from Hinata's heart monitor and the occasional scuffle of feet and murmurs coming from the hallway.

For his part, Naruto just didn't want to upset Minato in any way. Sure, he couldn't stand Konoha's Yellow Flash but he wasn't stupid either. If the man wanted to, he could use his famed Hiraishin and end Naruto's life before he could take another breath. He had to be careful around this man if he wanted to return to Iwa alive and well.

As for Minato, he was just speechless. He had always thought of what he'd say if he ever saw his son again. Hours and hours of practice and none of the words could be formed, mentally or verbally. He just took in his son's image and made sure to engrave every scratch, every line and everything in between into his memory.

Honestly, Naruto looked like hell, even after being cleaned up and having all the bandages applied to him. Well, bandages don't really say 'great health' but regardless…

"What do you want?" Naruto's cold, emotionless voice came out like smoke from a smoker's lips, slow and stretched. Immediately, Minato knew Naruto was being cautious and calculating with him. It hurt, Minato couldn't deny that, but it was understandable. Being raised in the very village Minato had dominated and held a grudge against him would probably do that to any child.

It just sucked that it had to be his child.

"I wanted to check up on you, that's all," Minato chose his words carefully; it seemed that any mistake on his part would set off the dynamite that was Naruto. No doubt, he had inherited more than the Kyūbi from Kushina.

"Do you plan to finish the job that asshole started back in the Land of Moon?" Naruto asked coldly and harshly. Minato refrained from showing it but he was boiling on the inside. The fact that the aforementioned asshole was already dead was enough to sate Minato's desire for his blood to be spilt.

"I'm here to make sure you are all right," Minato offered Naruto a peaceful smile. Naruto returned the gesture with a suspicious glare; he wasn't up for answering the smile in kind.

"I know we're both from enemy villages, you know that, too," Naruto said as he shifted his movements for more comfort. "Don't get me wrong, I _love _that the attention of a Kage is on me, but don't be offended if I'm a little more than suspicious when the Kage happens to be from the village that has shamed my own,"

"Of course," Minato answered quickly with a nod. "I'd probably be the same way," it wasn't a lie really. Honest, it wasn't…

"…" Naruto just stared at Minato, gauging him and his intentions through his body language and eyes. Though Naruto was no expert, he could see that the man was able to maintain a good balance of relaxation and tension. Whatever had the man on edge, he played it off really well.

"How are you feeling?" Minato asked sincerely and Naruto looked out the window. Hard as he might, he could not deny that Konohagakure no Sato was a beautiful place, assuming that's where they were.

"Fine," his answer was short and sweet; too short for Minato's taste. Still, Minato couldn't help but notice that Naruto's line of sight never left the window.

"Enjoying the view?" Naruto tore his stare from the window to glare at Minato. Said blond gave him a sincere smile. It was pretty infectious but Naruto managed to swallow down the idea of returning the smile. It wouldn't do to fraternize with the enemy.

"Meh," he answered again. Naruto thought if he could bore the Kage out, he'd be left alone and would eventually escape. He didn't plan on staying for too long. He needed to be elsewhere; places to go, people to see. On the other hand, things rarely went as planned…

The rest of the conversation continued like that; Minato asking generic questions and Naruto giving him one syllable answers. The man was persistent and refused to leave Naruto alone. Why he was so interested in him, Naruto could only guess.

'_What is wrong with him?'_ Naruto thought as he dully replied to another of Minato's question. He wasn't really paying attention. He didn't really care. He just wanted to leave…

Or eat ramen… Whichever came first…

'_He just keeps going on and on and on! Leave me alone dammit! It's not like you're asking any interesting questions anyway!'_

"How's Iwa?" Naruto blinked and gazed at Minato who gained a reluctant sort of look on his face; remorseful, even. Still, Naruto couldn't help but glare at him warily.

"Why do you care?" he asked suspiciously. Minato smirked a little, feeling a bit victorious in getting more than one syllable from Naruto.

"That's a good question," Minato said as he leaned back on the chair, his eyes turning to gaze at the window. "I seem to care too much,"

"Not my problem," Naruto mumbled as he changed his sights to the window as well. Neither said a word as they took in the scenery just outside the window. There were no clouds in the sky and the sun shone as if it would not appear the next day. Everyone who passed by the window seemed content with their lives as shown by the smiles on their faces.

"Everyone looks so… so happy," Naruto mumbled absentmindedly, unaware of two pairs of eyes staring at his turned head. Naruto's eyes softened as he took in the happy laughter of small children as they ran with each other, tagging each other and simply ignore the adults that walked by, trying to complete their errands. Such a life was one Naruto always wished for; a blissful one, one ignorant of the hardships of a shinobi. Sadly, he'd been exposed to such hardships at a young age and now it seemed fruitless to seek such a life.

"I try my hardest every day to keep it that way," Minato said as he too focused on the small children. "They are our future; they must be protected above all."

Naruto faced the Kage with mild shock. Stories have been told of the bloodthirsty Kage with no heart, no soul; killing relentlessly with no lingering burden of a conscience. A monster; a demon spawn from the darkest pit of Hell itself.

Now, looking into the eyes of said 'demon', Naruto could tell it was all propaganda against him. This man was no more a monster than a child was. He just knew when to behave like a shinobi and when not to.

Still, a burning emotion boiled in his stomach just by being near the man.

"…" Naruto couldn't find any words to say. At the moment, his vocabulary consisted of grunts and confused sounds.

Master of the witty dialog; that was him.

"Let me ask you something-" Minato began after Naruto didn't say anything but was cut off.

"Assuming that I answer your questions," he began. "What do I get in return?" Minato considered this with a pensive expression before he smiled.

"You can ask me any questions you'd like," Minato bowed his head. "And I promise to answer the question as honestly as I can."

"Any question and I get an honest answer? How do I know you're not lying to me?" Naruto asked and Minato righted himself and then bit down on his thumb until some blood leaked out. He then rolled out a scroll from his back pocket and quickly swiped his thumb across the surface of the scroll. He then rolled it up again and tossed it to Naruto with a gentle underhanded toss.

Naruto arched an eyebrow at the scroll.

"The scroll is one of my wife's specialties," Minato stated with a serious face. "The scroll sucks up the chakra of whosever blood the scroll contains, to explain as simply as possible," Naruto stared at him incredulously before opening the scroll. There were so many complex writing and symbols in the scroll that Naruto almost short-circuited. He placed the scroll face-down on his lap but he never tore his eyes from its back. Minato left out that only one of Namikaze or Uzumaki blood could activate it but it would only be counterproductive at the moment.

"Why give this to me?" Naruto asked as he gave Minato a wary glance.

"It's a pretty good gesture of my willingness and honesty, not to mention one hell of an incentive to tell the truth," Minato answered, adding the last part with a smile. He then saw the skepticism laced in Naruto's expression so he sighed and leaned back on his chair.

"If you'd like, you can test it out yourself," he added and Naruto looked to the scroll and then up at him.

"How?"

"See that small whirlpool symbol at the top-middle portion of the scroll?" Naruto searched and there was a whirlpool symbol right where he said it'd be. "That's the initial connection that will connect you to me and allow you to control how much chakra is sapped from my reserves," Naruto eyed the symbol once more.

"All you need to do is close the connection off by applying a small hint of your blood into the whirlpool," Naruto raised his eyebrow at Minato again.

"Sounds like a trap," Naruto said and Minato shrugged.

"It does seem that way, doesn't it? I promise you it's not but besides my word, you have nothing to base it off of,"

"True," Naruto agreed cautiously.

"So in the end, it's up to you whether or not you close the connection," Minato said as calmly as if he'd been speaking of the weather. In truth, he was nervous as hell, wondering if Naruto would believe him. It seemed unlikely to him…

That is, until Naruto bit his thumb and pressed it down against the whirlpool symbol. Both blonds felt a metaphysical sort of lock bond them together and a _click_-like sound echoed in their heads.

Naruto looked at Minato angrily but Minato returned the glare with an encouraging gesture. "Just concentrate, search for a tangible bond in your head and you'll soon learn what to do,"

Without a word, Naruto closed his eyes and did what Minato told him to do. After a few minutes of this, he felt stupid for even believing Minato but then he came across a red ribbon when the thought of Minato entered his mind. He opened his eyes and blinked at Minato.

Minato only smiled.

Naruto said nothing as he took in Minato's body language and smile before he closed them again and 'touched' the ribbon. He felt power surging through the ribbon, the ribbon humming under his touch. He tugged at it gently and felt foreign chakra enter him. He grunted in effort and subdued the chakra into his stomach. He grunted again, this time in pain, when he felt like his stomach was about to burst.

"You have to store the chakra into the scroll," Minato said nonchalantly as he focused on Naruto's face. He noticed the painful mask and almost jumped out of his chair and canceled the ritual but forced himself to stay in his chair and let Naruto handle it himself.

Naruto faintly heard him and shoved the foreign chakra past his body and into the scroll that remained under his hands. It felt… odd. He couldn't really describe the feeling he was currently going through. If it had to be described into words, it was almost like he had both hands on two conductors and had dangerous amounts of electricity passing harmlessly through one hand and traveling to the other.

Finally, Naruto stopped and opened his eyes. He saw the Fourth Hokage panting a little and sweat speeding down his forehead. Naruto heard a second person panting and soon found out that he was the one panting.

"See?" Minato asked with a smirk and Naruto nodded. "So, I'll ask my question first," Naruto nodded and Minato gave himself some time to catch his second wind before he hummed to himself.

"Do you know who your parents are?" the question opened up old wounds in Naruto but he refused to show it.

"Not really, they were killed before I even got to meet them," Naruto answered before looking at the scroll again. "Or so… they tell me," this gained Minato's interest.

"What do you-?"

"It's my turn now," Naruto said aggressively and Minato blinked before nodding. "Are you responsible for my father's death?" Minato blinked again and forced his laughter down his throat. Naruto looked deadly serious and if he laughed, he'd blow up whatever trust he gained from Naruto; not to mention that he'd probably get more of his chakra sucked up.

So, with as much authenticity as he could muster, Minato answered, "No, I did not."

Naruto thumbed the scroll with his brow furrowed in anger and for a second, Minato thought he was going to take more chakra. Instead, Naruto's hands relaxed and he sat on the hospital bed patiently.

"Ok," Minato said with the release of his breath that he had no idea he was holding. "What did you mean by 'or so they tell me'?" Minato asked and Naruto bit his lower lip.

"I was told that my parents were killed, in cold blood, by the man that humiliated our home in the last Great Shinobi War," Naruto began saying before pausing. "However, it didn't make much sense until I asked my sensei more about it," Another pause.

"What exactly did your sensei tell you?" Naruto gave Minato an odd look. "Right, sorry, go ahead."

"Do you plan to kill me?" Minato shook his head. Naruto seemed to visibly relax, so much so that it hurt Minato to see that his son had thought he was going to kill him. It was understandable but it didn't hurt any less.

"What exactly did your sensei tell you?" he repeated and Naruto looked away. He was wondered if he should really tell him. What the hell… it didn't make much of a difference right?

"He said that I was lied to, that you didn't really kill my parents out of cold blood. Then, I was called up to the Tsuchikage's office," he stopped, staring at his hands as he replayed the entire memory in his head.

"Naruto?" Minato interrupted Naruto's train of thought and he looked up. Naruto shook his head and cleared his throat.

"How long have I been out for?" Naruto asked.

"Three days," Minato answered and was surprised when Naruto didn't show any emotion to his response.

"What happened the day the Tsuchikage called you to his office?" before Naruto could answer, a nurse opened the door and paused as she saw both Naruto and Minato staring at her. She blushed at the attention.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm here to check up on my patient," Minato nodded and turned to Naruto, who eyed the nurse warily. The nurse ignored him and grabbed Hinata's chart and began to skim through it.

"Go ahead," Minato encouraged and Naruto nodded. He gripped the scroll tightly as he recounted the event in his head again.

"They told me… they told me the truth," Naruto growled as he felt his control on his anger slip a little. He couldn't help it; this memory always did this to him. Minato waited, a bit worried at what they told Naruto.

Naruto opened his eyes and Minato could see that his round pupil was now a slit, not unlike the Kyūbi's. Thankfully though, his irises were still blue.

"They said that you kidnapped my mother and took her away from my dad!" he shouted and his hands crumpled the scroll in them. His body shook as his emotions came flooding out of their containment. "And he was so angry, so helpless and depressed that he committed suicide. That's what the reports said but the old man knew better, he knew that you set it up to look like a suicide!"

"I already told you I never killed your father," Minato said calmly but Naruto shook his head and swiped his right hand in front of him horizontally.

"Lies!" Naruto yelled as his grip on the scroll tightened once more. Minato felt some of his chakra slip out of him and he cursed under his breath.

"I told you no such lies!" Minato said loudly as he felt Naruto tap into the Kyūbi's chakra. No doubt the demon was cheering on Naruto's rage.

"Then why would the Tsuchikage take me under his wing and raise me to fight you, to kill you? They showed me a picture of her," he said and adopted a sad smile. "She was so beautiful and kind. Why did you take her from me?" Naruto yelled and in retrospect, he'd find his own statement odd and suspicious but the mental image of his mother kept returning and fueled his anger, driving away any form of reasoning.

Minato, for his part, just gaped in shock. _'They what?'_ he thought furiously.

"I did no such thing!" Minato yelled as he stood from his seat; his own anger fueling him. The two were too busy yelling at each other that they didn't see the nurse smirk. She took out a kunai from out of nowhere and ran towards Naruto.

Naruto blinked and saw the nurse run towards him. His eyes widened and he sucked in his breath when he saw that he couldn't stop the nurse even if he was standing.

In the time it took Naruto to suck in his breath, Minato's form had disappeared in a flash of yellow and he appeared behind the nurse. To him, everything seemed to move more slowly than usual. He reared his right hand back and his chakra was already being shaped into a continuously spinning ball. With quick jab, he shoved the Rasengan into the woman's back and she went off spinning into the window, breaking it, and flying off into the next building facing the window.

Naruto's eyes widened and he turned to see the nurse plastered to the building's wall. She remained unmoving, even as she began to fall from the dent she left. Without preamble, three ANBU appeared in the room while a fourth caught the nurse before she hit the ground.

"Send her to Ibiki and tell him I want to know why she attacked my-" Minato stopped himself before he told everyone that Naruto was his son. "My guest," he finished and the ANBU nodded before disappearing once more.

Minato sighed and faced Naruto, who was still gaping at him. "So, whose turn was it?" He asked with a smirk. His anger was still there but Minato managed to control it before it got the best of him. Naruto managed to do the same but to a lesser extent.

"You didn't kill my dad and kidnapped my mother?" Naruto asked after composing himself. Minato shook his head. Before Minato could ask his next question, the door burst off its hinges and flew across the room before hitting the wall with a loud 'thud'.

"Where's my baby?" Minato's and Naruto's eyes widened at the voice and question. Minato had hoped he would finish his questioning before Kushina appeared. It wasn't as if he didn't love her or anything but sometimes, Kushina managed to make everything go to hell really fast.

The second after her voice rang through the entire hospital did she step past the threshold and her eyes immediately scanned the room. She met her target in the eyes and immediately appeared at his left side, hugging him tightly and crying into his hair. She mumbled incoherent things into his hair and cradled his head.

Minato smiled, he couldn't help it; the scene in front of him touched his heart.

Naruto, though, thought otherwise.

"I knew it," Naruto mumbled before everyone in the room felt his anger radiate from him. Kushina backed up a little and looked at his face. His eyes became red and slit while his whiskers thickened. His hair became more feral and his nails grew to sharp claws. Overall, he looked a little intimidating.

"You LIAR!" Naruto shouted as he bounced off his mother's arms and straight for Minato who dodged his tackle in a flash of yellow. Naruto managed to catch himself before he hit the chair and looked around the room. He spotted Minato standing in the window that the nurse had crashed through moments ago. He'd found a portion of the window where there were no broken glass to step on.

"Wait!" Minato shouted but it was no use. Naruto was already running towards him with his right claw cocked back. His body ached and protested against such actions but Naruto's anger helped him ignore his pain and continued his attempt to kill the man who stole his mother from him.

He thrust his claw forward and was only centimeters away from digging his claw into Minato's face when spiked-chains wrapped around his wrists, ankles and waist. It hauled him back into the hospital bed and kept him still. He fought against the chain but it wouldn't budge. It was too powerful for him.

'_**Damn her!'**_ he heard Yōko curse from his head. He looked up and saw Kushina forming a half-tiger hand sign. His features returned to normal and he stared up at her. Kushina was surprised and sadden by the look of betrayal on his face and eyes.

"Why…" he mumbled as he continued to fight against the chain. "Why… mom?" This surprised everyone in the room, even Hinata who was supposedly still unconscious.

"You… Y-You know who I… am?" Kushina asked. It was a bittersweet moment for her; on the one hand, he recognized her as his mother, on the other, he felt betrayed by her.

"You still look the same," Naruto said and felt stray tears fall from his eyes. "Why are you helping that monster?" Naruto asked, throwing Kushina through a loop.

"You mean Minato-kun?" Naruto growled and doubled his efforts to break free of his bonds.

"Don't say that! Don't you even remember dad?" he yelled and let out a feral growl as he struggled against the restraints.

"Minato-kun, help," she said as she placed her free hand on Naruto's forehead. He seemed to have relaxed a bit; in fact, leaned against her touch. Minato appeared on the other side and placed his own hand over Kushina's. His eyes dulled over and his arms and legs went limp.

"I still have… your picture," Naruto said with a tired smile. "It's in my… back pocket…" he said before falling asleep thanks to Minato's genjutsu. Kushina and Minato stared at their son and smiled remorsefully.

"Picture?" Kushina asked after some time.

"Apparently, Iwa's first lie didn't work, so they decide to use you as a motivator for his hatred of me," he answered as he walked towards Naruto's dirty and ruined pants that lay in the nightstand next to his bed. Kushina blinked at the broken window and human-shaped dent on the building across the hospital.

"What happened?" she asked without preamble and Minato scoffed.

"Someone tried to assassinate Naruto, probably an Iwa-nin. Sent her to I&T department," he said and Kushina growled. He checked the back pocket and found a folded picture. He unfolded it and was surprised by a picture of Kushina smiling and giving the camera the Victory sign.

"I took this," Minato mumbled as he took in the picture. "How did they…?"

Kushina walked up to him and gasped. She took the picture from Minato and after taking in the picture, she began to shake.

"Kushina, wait-" before he could finish, she was out the door and stomping out of the hospital. Minato sighed before looking at Naruto. Minutes ticked away before the chains disappeared in a ghostly whisper, as if they were never there.

"How long were you awake?" Minato asked Hinata, not turning to face her. She jumped and blushed.

"Since before you entered," she answered and when he turned to face her, she looked at her hands.

Minato only smiled, mischief gleaming in his eyes. "Good,"

**[*.*.*.*]**

Kushina was angry. Everyone that she passed by could see that. Even Itachi hesitated to talk to her.

"Hello, Lady Hokage," Itachi joked but Kushina continued her trek without stopping.

"Don't mess with me right now, Itachi," she said and Itachi blinked. That was new.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he kept pace with her. It wasn't long before he realized where she was heading.

"I'm going to talk to a rat," she said with a mischievous spark in her violet eyes. Itachi just stopped in his tracks and watched her walk off. He didn't want to be anywhere near her whenever she got in her I&T moods.

When Kushina reached the I&T Department, she let everyone within earshot know what her purpose was.

"Where is that Iwa punk?" She shouted and two ANBU tried to stop her. "Get out of my way," the mischief in her eyes turned to cold fury as she gave each ANBU her glare. They were trained to face many battles and gores the likes of which no normal human could withstand.

But no amount training could prepare them for the anger and determination of a kunoichi mother.

She managed to bypass all protocol and tradition and bombarded Ibiki with questions. Said man only sighed and allowed her to pass in the room where a purple haired Kunoichi was already interrogating the Iwa assassin.

"Move Anko," Kushina said and without protest, Anko let Kushina at the Iwa-nin. She smirked as she left the room to join Ibiki. This was going to be fun.

Kushina stared down at the woman tied to the chair in an empty room. She looked around the room.

"Such a cliché room, don't you think?" Kushina asked but the Iwa kunoichi didn't respond. This bugged Kushina and she grabbed the woman's collar and made her look her in the eyes.

"Why did you try to kill my child?" Kushina asked and the kunoichi's response was to stare at her in shock. Kushina growled when she said nothing and pushed her back. Kushina let her chakra envelope the room and the kunoichi gasped for air when the killing intent almost made her pass out.

"I'm surprised that you're still awake but I can't say I'm upset. The next part is never fun when the victim is unconscious."

The next few minutes were so graphic and horrible that any sane person would never completely comprehend it and any attempt to relive the memory through words would be lost to them. Anko, however, took notes. Ibiki shook his head and mumbled about rookies and their lack of subtly.

When Kushina came out of the interrogation, she had a scowl on her lips.

"Dammit, right when it was getting good," she said and faced Ibiki. "Did you get all of that?" Ibiki shook his head but replied positively.

"Inform the Hokage," she said and without another word, left the room.

"What about you, Lady Uzumaki?" Ibiki asked and she stopped just as she stepped out of the room.

"I need to see someone. Only she can relax me before I do something stupid besides Minato and he's gonna be too busy," she rushed out of the room and Ibiki sighed. He turned to his apprentice and scowled at her when he saw stars in her eyes.

"What are you waiting for?" he scolded and she flinched. "Go see to it that the message is received," She grumbled with a scowl and leisurely walked out of the room. Ibiki glared at her before shaking his head once more and calling in ANBU to clean up the psychological mess that used to be an assassin.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Naruto woke up to the smooth sound of a beautiful voice humming while gentle fingers rubbed his tired head. He could smell the scent of medicine and death so he figured they were still at the hospital. He strained to open his eyes and when he did, he found a lock of red hair resting on his nose. He smiled tiredly and closed his eyes again with a groan.

"My baby," he heard a feminine voice chant repeatedly and he chuckled.

"So this is how… it feels to be a son," he mumbled and he heard a reluctant sob. He opened his eyes again and saw that he was being held by his mother. He raised a weak hand to her cheek, surprising her. "Don't cry, mother. I'm… not mad anymore," he said and Kushina stared at him in shock before smiling and bending down to kiss his forehead. Her lips felt soft on his skin. They reminded him of Hinata's lips but Hinata's lips were much different. It wasn't something he could explain without having time to think about it.

"I love you, Naruto," she said as she hugged him. "My child is back in my arms," she cried and her tears fell and plopped on Naruto's face. He felt a few of his own tears accumulate in his eyes and begin to fall.

"Why do I feel so weak?" Naruto asked and Kushina choked. Naruto looked down and noticed that there were chains attached to his ankles, glowing a faint blue.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," she said. "We couldn't risk you running away. And… and I wanted you to stay with me,"

"What?" he asked, somewhat disturbed and angry. "Why mom?" he asked and Kushina looked away.

"I didn't want you to leave," a new voice said, one particularly familiar to Naruto. He looked to the left and saw Minato staring at them with tears in his eyes, though they haven't fell just yet.

"You bastard," Naruto mumbled.

"Don't say that to your father!" Kushina scolded, surprising both Minato and Naruto.

"Kushina," Minato said in a soft tone yet also somehow gently scolding her. Kushina looked up at him.

"I know you told me not to tell him but I can't help it," she said through tears and a tired voice that sounded as though she'd been screaming for hours. "I want us to be a family again. Let's just stop this fighting. Please," she begged. Minato had never heard her sound so vulnerable, so soft, so strong all in the same timeframe. It was sort of new to him and it broke his heart.

Naruto just stared at Minato in shock. There was no way he was his father… was there? Looking at him, Naruto could see some relation but he refused to acknowledge it. He tried to free himself from his mother's grip and run away. It was too much to handle. He was about to overload with all this information and emotion flooding him.

Try as he might, he was too weak and his mother was strong as hell. Or maybe she seemed strong because of the chakra absorbing chains. Who knew?

"Let me go," Naruto said weakly and still struggled against Kushina's hold. She shook her head vigorously. She heard the soft hum of Minato's kunai and only had time to look up before he threw his kunai and it cut the chain free from the wall. Naruto felt the tingling sensation of chakra leaving him abruptly stop and some energy return to him.

"Minato!" Kushina chided but Minato shook his head.

"I'm not going to force him to stay," Minato said securely. Kushina just gaped at him. Naruto stood and faced Minato. "You know the truth; the real truth. I am your father, and you are my son. Us three, in this room right now, are a family. The only one I have," the statement sounded odd to Minato and quite sad but it was the truth.

"I'm not going to force you to stay here and listen to the entire truth but if you want to hear it, you can come to either one of us, preferably both, and ask. However," he said as he watched Naruto head for the window in. Naruto stopped just as he opened the window and faced Minato again.

"You can come to the meeting I'm holding in two days' time," he informed him, getting a shocked response from Kushina.

"What?" she shouted in outrage but Minato ignored her at the moment.

"…" Naruto turned and stepped up to the windowsill. "Where?" he asked and Minato smirked.

"Ask Hinata-chan, she'll know," he answered and Naruto jumped off. The hospital room was silent of all sounds. Minato just stared at the window Naruto left from before getting a harsh yet hesitant slap from his wife. He looked at her as she sobbed into his chest.

"Did you see it?" Minato asked and Kushina nodded slowly. "He cried just before he left," Minato said to no one in particular.

***.***

Naruto panted, holding himself up with a tree that lay closest to the sidewalk. He still had on his hospital gown but because it kept exposing his less than modest areas, he wrapped it around his waist like a towel. Although he really didn't want to walk around the village showing off his upper torso, it was better than showing off everything between his waist and knees.

He ran from the hospital, for who knows how long or how far. He just needed some space from his mother and that… that man.

He couldn't be his father, could he? It was simply impossible… wasn't it?

And ask Hinata where the meeting was going to take place; how the hell was he going to find Hinata?

"Naruto-kun?" Naruto blinked.

'_No way. No way am I that lucky,'_ he turned and faced the person who called him out and found that it was Hinata. What luck…

"Naruto-kun, I was just looking for you," Hinata said with a smile, but Naruto only looked at her suspiciously. She was blushing furiously. In fact, even her neck was red. Was she ok?

"What for? Did _he_ send you?" he asked and Hinata frowned, knowing exactly who _he _was.

"I bumped into him but he never told me to come after you," she answered honestly and he looked at her before nodding.

"So, what did you want?" he asked. It came out colder than he wanted it to but there was no use crying over spilled milk.

"Oh, uhm, sorry, did I come at a bad time?" she asked and Naruto just stared at her before shaking his head.

"There's just a lot on my plate," he answered vaguely but waved off the concerned look on her face. "Nothing you should worry about."

"…" Hinata wondered if she should get involved with his affair. She hadn't lied when she said she ran into Minato or that he hadn't asked her to go after him but what she hadn't mentioned was that Kushina had urged her to make him stay, to go to the meeting.

"I know what happened," Hinata said but got no response from Naruto; not an external one anyway. "I was wondering if there was some way I could help,"

"You could _not_ get involved," Naruto suggested venomously and Hinata bit her lower lip.

"No," she said with finality. This got a reaction from the jinchūriki.

"What?" he asked with a sort of angry yet excited gleam in his eyes.

"You need my help," she told him defiantly. "Naruto, I…" she stopped and broke eye contact. She muffled a surprised squeak when she felt him place his hands on her shoulders. She noticed that he was still gentle on her right arm. Still, she refused to meet his eyes.

"You know how I feel about you," she finally said. "I don't… I'm not used to admitting my feelings so bluntly so excuse me if it takes me a while to say it again," Hinata built up her courage to look up and establish eye contact again.

"But you need me, and you know it; now more than ever," Naruto grunted in reluctant defeat after some hesitation but he had a smile on his lips. Hinata was nice and somewhat shy but she was also feisty and strong willed; he liked that.

"You want to help?" Naruto asked and Hinata nodded. Naruto smirked, "You know any good restaurants in town? Maybe one that serves ramen?" Hinata smiled and took his hand. She wordlessly led him to Ichiraku's, just five minutes away.

She introduced Naruto to the chef and his daughter; both immediately recognized him but said nothing of it. They spoke to him as if they've never heard of him and they got along great. Ichiraku's just gained a third, infamous customer; they just didn't know it yet.

"Five chicken, three shrimp, and ten miso ramen," Naruto declared and earned a loud bellow of laughter from Teuchi, the ramen chef, and a nod from Ayame, his daughter.

"One miso for me, please," Hinata said with a cute tilt of her head and a smile. Ayame nodded again and wrote it down, going to the back with her father. Hinata turned to Naruto who smiled at the prospect of eating ramen again.

"So, how long was I out for after my mother put me out?" he asked and she bit her lip in thought.

"A day or so…" she answered on reflex. She then saw him arch a knowing eyebrow to accompany the sly smile on his lips and she shook her hands in front of her in defense. "I-I think, I'm not sure."

Naruto just chuckled. "Relax, Hinata-chan, I knew you were awake the whole time. Doesn't bother me too much. Just pay for my ramen and we'll be even," Hinata nodded with a smile. The two continued with light conversations until the ramen arrived. Naruto immediately dug in his meal and was half way done by the time Hinata finished her ramen.

That's when trouble arrived.

"Hinata!" Naruto and Hinata jumped at her name being yelled so loudly. They were only given a second to compose themselves before Hinata was given a hug from behind. She was lifted off her seat and held in the air by a teen with a feral-wolf look. Not the mean kind of feral, just very wild, as if he had been raised in the forest.

Naruto continued eating, though he did give the teen a sideways glance.

"Hinata, I can't believe your back," the teen wolf said as he released her. Hinata didn't look displeased with the teen so Naruto continued to eat in peace. "I thought I'd never see you again,"

It was just a talk among friends. No big deal. He had no reason to be jealous. And he wasn't; he wasn't going to be an overprotective boy-guy-friend. Yea, overprotective guy-friend; that's what he was thinking.

"It's ok Kiba-kun, I'm not going anywhere," she assured him with a smile. Naruto smirked; typical Hinata, always thinking of others.

"When you were missing, I didn't know what to do," the now identified Kiba said. This caught Naruto's interest as he grabbed his tenth bowl. "I didn't think my life would be the same without you,"

Naruto's grip on his chopsticks tightened, threatening to break them. "No duh," Naruto commented to himself. He growled at himself for letting it slip; he was better than that. Kiba gave him a weird look before ignoring him again.

"Anyway, what are you doing here?" he asked and Hinata smiled sheepishly.

"Just having lunch with him," she said, pointing a thumb to Naruto who turned his head and mumbled an incoherent greeting – mostly because of the ramen sticking out of his mouth – and gave a lazy wave. Kiba sneered and looked at Hinata who for her part didn't faint at the tension in the air.

Though Naruto didn't show it, he was focusing most of his senses on Kiba, keeping his guard up. Hinata could tell Kiba found Naruto to be a threat. To who or why, Hinata didn't know. She sat down and patted the seat to the left of her.

"Would you like to join us?" she asked politely. Kiba gave Naruto a calculating glance before shaking his head.

"I'd love to but I can't," he said and Naruto smirked.

"Too bad," he mumbled but Kiba ignored it.

"Kurenai-sensei is training Shino and me to cooperate with the Uchiha," he said and Hinata's eyes widened a bit before they relaxed, though only Naruto caught it. "Wanna come watch?" he asked and Hinata smiled timidly.

"I wish but…" she hesitated, not really good at coming up with excuses on the fly.

"She needs to show me around," Naruto said as he wiped his mouth with his right hand and placed his eighteenth bowl on the table. "I'm new in town, you see, and your Kage has graciously allowed a pretty flower," he gestured at Hinata, who blushed at the compliment. "Such as her, to show me, a lowly fox, around. Y'know, just to establish stronger bonds between visiting shinobi and their village,"

Naruto internally smirked at himself. Not only had he told Kiba to back off, he had also warned him that if he were to mess with him, he'd have to deal with the Hokage and another shinobi village; a double no-no. He couldn't be that much of an idiot not to understand that… right?

"Like someone like Hinata would waste her time on you. And you do reek of fox," Kiba stated and Naruto sweat dropped. He was dealing with an idiot. "And you look like you just ran away from the hospital," he added and Naruto smirked.

"Thanks for stating the obvious," Naruto retorted and poked Kiba in the chest. "You smell like a mutt," he added and Kiba growled.

"What'd you say?" Kiba asked as he grabbed Naruto by his neck. Almost by reflex, Naruto gripped Kiba's hand with his right hand and drove his thumb into Kiba's wrist. Within seconds, Kiba let Naruto go and started massaging his wrist.

"I don't like to be touched," Naruto said with a smile. Kiba let out another growl. Naruto found that smiling always seemed to annoy people more than actually insulting them. _'Or maybe,'_ he thought, '_I just have an annoying smile,'_

"Tch, whatever," he brushed Naruto aside and faced Hinata. "I'll see ya later, ok?" Hinata nodded.

"Tell Kurenai-sensei that I'll visit her soon," Kiba sneered at Naruto one more time but nodded. Naruto waited until he was out of the restaurant and earshot to laugh.

"Well, that was something," he bellowed and noticed that Hinata wasn't laughing with him. Not even giggling. In fact, he saw that she was frowning. "What?"

"He's my friend, Naruto-kun," she chided. "He may not be diplomatic but that doesn't change that he does mean a lot to me," Naruto frowned this time and looked away.

"Fine, fine. Now, are you going to show me around or am I going to have to figure it out myself?" Naruto asked and Hinata nodded. She still seemed upset so Naruto said nothing for a few minutes. Eventually, her spirits rose and she began to show him around with a happy and nostalgic smile.

She showed him where she lived, where he could find good dumplings, where the Hokage's office was and so on and so forth. He stopped in front of a clothing store and ventured in.

"I need to get out of this get-up," he said, knowing that she was following him and could easily hear him. Still, he felt her eyes burning his back and he couldn't help but smirk. Was the innocent and modest Hyūga checking him out?

"Well, there's a lot of styles to choose from," a girl said from behind the counter. She was appealing, with smoky onyx eyes and smooth brown hair. She had a shapely figure and by the way she carried herself, Naruto could tell she wasn't ashamed to use it to her advantage. "If you need help, just let me know," she said with a wink and a blush.

Naruto nodded but ignored her after that. He had no interest in her. Hinata just shook it off and ignored her as well. It wouldn't do to snap just because some girl talked to Naruto. It was normal to feel somewhat jealous right?

With that, Naruto grabbed the nearest orange shirt and black shorts and put them on in the dressing room. He was out in a second and tossed the gown in the trash. He walked up to the girl behind the counter and then froze.

'_Crap, my money's in my bag… back in the hospital room,'_ he silently cursed at himself and went to go get the gown back.

"What's wrong?" Hinata asked and Naruto told her his situation. "Oh, well, I can pay for it," she said nonchalantly but Naruto shook his head.

"You shouldn't do that," he said.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Girls shouldn't buy guys clothes. Or waste money on them," he answered and she narrowed her eyes a bit.

"And why not?" she repeated and emphasized it by placing her hands on her hips.

He shook his head again. "It's just the principle of the thing, that's all."

"Well, too bad," she said as she grabbed his hand with her left hand. He let her drag him and he groaned when she gave the girl a shiny card. Her name was engraved on it, along with a sixteen-digit number. It was a simple lavender card but a symbol – what he assumed was her clan's symbol – was imprinted on the top-right corner of it.

"This is humiliating," he said and Hinata only smiled.

"Good," she stated and with that, they left the store, just after the girl snuck Naruto a card with her address and a time when he could sneak into her home.

He tossed the card in the garbage as soon as she wasn't looking. It was as useless as the hospital gown that sat in the trash.

"Uhm," Naruto mumbled and rubbed the back of his head. Hinata turned her head slightly to see him blushing uncomfortably. "Well, you bought this for me, so thanks… I guess."

Hinata smiled. "You're welcome. It's the least I can do," she said and they continued the tour. Most of the day was gone by then and there was only about an hour of sun left so most of the store were either closing or just opening up. They decided not to venture into the ones just opening; they weren't old enough to drink, anyway.

"Hinata," a voice called out. Naruto clenched his fist; not another admirer! Still, this guy's voice sent a chill down Naruto's spine. It was cold and calculating, almost alien. It was too distant and emotionless for Naruto's taste. The two turned and were greeted by the sight of a black-haired teen with even blacker eyes, if possible. The teen stood only an inch taller than him but what attracted Naruto's attention was the sort of authority and power radiating from him. It didn't sit well with Naruto.

"Sasuke-kun," Hinata's voice sounded distant and low, so low that Naruto almost missed it. Almost.

Naruto saw the corners of Sasuke's lips twitch before they returned to an impassive expression.

"I see, so that mutt wasn't lying. You truly did return," he eyed her arm in the sling and he frowned. Or at least, Naruto thought he did. "What happened?" It sounded more like a demand than a question.

"It was an accident," she answered with a forced smile. Naruto's eyes flicked from Sasuke to Hinata and back. There was an awkward silence around them and Naruto almost felt like blowing up something just to release the tension.

"I'm just glad you're ok," he said and walked up to Hinata, never acknowledging Naruto. This pissed him off. "I was worried about you," he said as his left hand reached up and pushed a stray hair away from Hinata's face.

Hinata didn't like the touch, Naruto could tell. He wasn't about to watch someone put his hands on his girl-…tour guide. Yeah, that's what she was; his girl-tour guide.

If Naruto had enough time, he'd slap his forehead. Hard.

"Have you ever seen an explosion occur because of one punch?" Naruto asked as he lightly pushed Sasuke back with his right hand. Sasuke glared at Naruto who only smirked devilishly. He took his silence as a 'no'. "Wanna see?"

"Naruto-kun," Hinata scolded but Naruto never tore his eyes from the Uchiha. Sasuke activated his Sharingan and was about to put a genjutsu on Naruto to keep him occupied when he noticed something inside of Naruto's eyes. He deactivated them and for the first time, Sasuke smirked.

"I see," he said as he took a step back. Naruto arched an eyebrow. "The Nine-Tailed Fox," he whispered, loud enough for Naruto to hear. Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"You must be an Uchiha," Naruto stated and smirked as well. "I hear you bastards are hard to kill, but not impossible," Sasuke's smirk lessened a bit. He took the compliment/insult better than Naruto expected.

He would soon see otherwise as Sasuke disappeared and reappeared behind Naruto who was surprised at his speed. A second later, a cut appeared on his left cheek and blood flowed from it before being sealed off by the Kyūbi's chakra.

Naruto turned and aimed to punch him but Sasuke was where he stood a minute before. Naruto growled and glared at him.

"You're fast," Naruto said and Sasuke smirked haughtily.

"You state the obvious too much," he taunted and Naruto wished to beat Sasuke's face in. Hinata stepped between them and leveled them with an admonishing stare.

"Stop this," she said with authority and both Naruto and Sasuke felt their desire for her burn hotter. She was just so alluring to them when she took charge. She gave Sasuke a remorseful smile. "I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun, but I'm a little busy at the moment. We'll talk later," she assured and Sasuke said nothing as he walked up to Hinata and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

Naruto growled again but did nothing; Hinata was a big girl, she could take care of herself. At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

Hinata blushed but other than that, she didn't react to the kiss. Sasuke smiled as he walked away, thinking he'd discouraged Naruto's pursuit of the beautiful teen.

She watched him go before sighing and facing Naruto. She noticed that he didn't take the kiss entirely well.

"Is there… something going on between you two?" He asked; no reason to beat around the bush. "If you'd like I could call him back and let you two finish…" he made a vague gesture that Hinata somewhat understood as the thing that just happened between her and the Uchiha. "…whatever the hell that was?"

Hinata shook her head. "I'd rather not," she answered and Naruto nodded.

"But something did happen…" it wasn't a question. Hinata gave him a wary look before nodding. Naruto felt his heart hit the bottom of his stomach and shook his head. He really didn't want to deal with Mr. Rainbows-and-Sunshine or anything having to do with him at the moment.

So he changed the subject. "Your Kage told me that there'll be a meeting in two days. Where will it be?" he asked and it took her a moment to get her out of her thoughts.

"I'll show you when the day comes," Naruto nodded and they continued to walk aimlessly, both enthralled by their thoughts.

"Will you ever recognize him as your father?" Hinata questioned without prelude.

"What makes you think he's my father?" Naruto asked.

"Why answer my question with a question?"

"Why not just answer my question first?" Naruto rebutted and Hinata gave him a deadpanned look. He sighed; he'd hope to avoid this conversation. "I have a bad past and it's not easy to accept that the person everyone told you to hate could be your father," he answered.

"I understand," Hinata stated but they both knew that was a lie. "At least give him a chance, he's not a bad guy. He's very kind, and caring, and sweet…"

"Sounds like you have a crush on him," Hinata blushed and looked away. When she didn't respond, Naruto stared at her incredulously. "Holy shit…"

"I was young!" she snapped. "He was always there, so heroic and all! There wasn't a girl in the village that didn't have a crush on him at some point," she explained. Naruto smiled playfully.

"How old were you?" he asked and she blushed.

"Young…"

"How old?"

"Very young…"

"How old?"

"I was so childish back then,"

"How. Old?"

"…"

"…"

"TEN!" she shouted and as soon as she did, she placed both hands over her mouth. Naruto laughed loudly as he held his sides.

"My ribs!" he declared and Hinata pouted.

"You're so mean to me, Naruto-kun," she whined and Naruto wiped a nonexistent tear from his left eye.

"I'm sorry but this is so _rich_!" he stated, earning another pout from Hinata. When Naruto finally gathered his bearings, they continued their walk. "When did your crush stop?"

"The moment I saw mother scare off other flirtatious women," she answered and Naruto nodded in understanding.

"When was that?"

"The same day I turned eleven," Naruto wanted to laugh again but decided against it; it wouldn't do to agitate his girl-tour guide. Damn it, there it was again.

"How fun," he said instead of laughing or slamming his head against the building beside him.

"Soon enough, he became more like a second father-figure. Those feelings were as hollow as…" she blinked as she tried to think of an appropriate simile.

"As Kiba's head?" Naruto offered and raised his hands up in defense when he received a small glare from Hinata. "Sorry, too soon, got it."

"He acts like my second father. Sometimes, it even agitates my real father. Though, they're both good friends so it's fine," she continued and Naruto nodded.

"Cool," Naruto had no idea what to say so he decided to give a non-committable word. She stopped in front of him and gave him a pleading look.

"Please, Naruto-kun, don't brush this off as insignificant. Please give Lord Hokage a chance," she pleaded and Naruto sighed.

"It isn't as simple as accepting him. I have a bad history with all things Konoha. It won't change overnight," he informed her and Hinata hummed to herself.

"I don't expect it too but please try, for me?" she begged and Naruto's determination wavered at her look. He sighed in defeat and rubbed the back of his head.

"You're evil," Naruto said, hoping to break the tension. Hinata smiled gratefully.

"Thank you," she said as she rested her head on his chest. He hugged her and she returned it in kind.

"I think I should go home now," Hinata said but showed no signs of getting off him. "It's getting pretty late and you've met enough males that hate you without meeting my brother," Naruto paled.

"Brother?" he had seen how overprotective and dangerous brothers could be. It wasn't enough that Hinata was from the enemy village with a bunch of guys following her like lost puppies, but she also had a brother?

Naruto looked up at the sky; someone up there seriously had a sick sense of humor.

"Naruto-kun?" Naruto blinked and saw that Hinata was now looking behind him. He turned and was greeted with the sight of another angry, older looking teen coming towards them.

'_Damn my luck; damn it to hell!'_

"Big brother!" Hinata said happily as she ran and hugged the older looking teen. She showed no restraint as she hugged him with everything she had. He returned it in kind, just a little more controlled. They took a step back and Naruto saw her brother smile; an honest-to-Kami smile.

"I see that you are well, Lady Hinata," he said and Hinata pouted. He just chuckled. "I'm happy to see that you're ok, little sister," he corrected and Hinata hugged him again. They parted and began to talk about how they'd been the last few weeks.

"…and Neji, he saved me. Twice." Hinata told her brother, Neji. Naruto had trailed off and was off in his own little world somewhere between the start of the conversation and that bit of information; mostly because that was when Neji turned his cold gaze on him.

Naruto felt like his soul would freeze over. He put on his best smile and walked over to him.

"Hiya," he said and extended his hand out for a shake. Neji stared at it oddly before Hinata nudged his ribs with her good elbow. He grabbed his hand and they shook. Soon enough, it became a contest of strength and they both forced a smile.

"Good grip," Neji stated and Naruto gulped.

"Not bad yourself," he retorted and doubled his efforts. Neji remained calm and cool but he was close to breaking. Naruto wasn't too far off either.

Hinata stopped the macho-contest by placing her delicate hand over theirs. They both blinked at looked at her, almost as if she'd poured ice-cold water over their heads.

Her smile was genuine but frightening. "Are we done?" The way she said it had suggested that it was more of a demand than a suggestion but regardless, she expected an answer.

Naruto and Neji gave each other one last squeeze before letting go. "Yeah," they said simultaneously. They blinked.

"Stop it," they said at the same time.

"No, you stop!" This time, Neji smirked as he said that.

"Shut up!" This was getting old really quickly for Hinata as she rubbed her temples.

"Grow up! You first!" Hinata grabbed Naruto shoulder and began to drag him away.

"I'll be home soon, brother."

"Not too late. You know how Lord Hiashi worries, and with good reason," Neji said loudly and Hinata nodded.

"I know."

Neji watched them leave before smirking and shaking his head. "Interesting."

Off in the distance, Hinata pushed Naruto against a wooden fence and leveled him with a cold stare.

"You're such a troublemaker," she stated and Naruto smiled excitedly.

"You're such a potty-mouth," he mocked, hoping to get one of those cute laughs or giggles from Hinata. She didn't respond well.

"I'm serious; you picked a fight with everyone we ran into today," she looked away. "It almost makes me hesitate to introduce you to the rest of my friends… much less my father," she said, adding the last part under her breath.

"I don't start it," he said defensively. "Hell, I'd rather not meet them," He saw that his words hit home as Hinata frowned and hung her head, her bangs covering her eyes. She backed away from him and began to walk away. Naruto ran after her and put his right arm against the wooden fence a few feet in front of her, stopping her progress.

"What did I say?" he demanded but she refused to look at him.

"They're my friends and family, Naruto-kun. They mean a lot to me and for you, someone who's also important to me, to say something like that really hurts,"

"But you've seen the way those three acted towards me! They don't accept me. They HATE me! I doubt your other friends will be any different. They're all the same here," He thought he heard a small gasp come from Hinata but saw that her body shook.

"I thought you were nice, different from all the other guys. I can see now that you're no different from every other thug that I've encountered on my missions," she said and brushed by him. It hurt. No, it stung him, right in the heart, to hear Hinata say things like that about him. Not only that…

It also angered him.

"So I'm a thug? Is that it?" he asked but she didn't stop; she didn't even reply. "You're just gonna walk away from me? After all we've been through?" Still nothing. Naruto swallowed down the pain in his throat and smirked.

"Fine, I see. That's how you wanna be," he said as he grabbed the front of his shirt and ripped it off him. "I should've known better, the old man was right!" he shouted as he also tore off his shorts, leaving him in his green boxers.

"I have no friends, I can see that now," he said, a lot lower than before. He hung his head low. "I was a fool to believe someone like you could like someone like me. A fool!" he said, adding the last part with a growl. He looked up to see Hinata turn the corner and disappear. His body shook with frustration and he turned and swiftly drove his right fist into the fence. It busted through the fence as though it was made of wet paper towels. He paused and then retracted his hand out of the fence.

He inspected his fist and saw small cuts and splinters on his fist but he didn't care; the Kyūbi would take care of those wounds without a second thought.

"I'm so stupid," he mumbled sadly as he turned and began to walk away. "I'm sorry, Hinata-chan."

Hinata sat with her back to the fence, sobbing silently and shaking her head.

Walking aimlessly had helped Naruto clear his head and helped him realize what he did wrong. He had insulted Hinata by metaphorically spitting on her friends and family. He should've been more sensitive to her feelings. It wasn't her fault that she didn't know how alone he was as a child, not knowing the importance of friends and family.

Sure, he had Kurotsuchi and Han but Han was always off on a mission and Kurotsuchi had her studies. The only person he had was himself. To play alone and train under the old man, who was no grandfather, either.

Still, the stubborn part of him was angry at the fact that she didn't even try to understand his angle. She was only thinking of herself.

And another, more rational part of him as angry at himself for being stupid enough to rip apart the only means of keeping his modesty modest. It didn't help that it was getting late and some of the more… desperate women kept on giving his body an onceover. He shivered but kept on the strong façade as he wondered where the hell he was.

"You," Naruto froze and turned to see a man in a uniform walk up to him with two followers in the same uniform. "What the hell do you think you're doing walking around my village in only boxers?" the officer demanded and Naruto groaned.

'_My luck is fucking amazing!'_

"I… I accidently locked myself out of my apartment and now I'm going to my friend's house," Naruto said off the top of his head. He internally smirked at his cleverness. He didn't, however, expect the officer to grab his arm.

"What apartment and what friend?" he asked and Naruto gulped.

"The one…" '_Shit! I can't remember where those are!'_ "…you know, the one's near the shopping district," he said, making a leap of faith. The officer seemed to accept the answer. "And my friend that lives down the street here," Naruto said and smiled when the officer let him go.

"Why would you visit him? Does he have a spare key?" The man continued but Naruto felt more relaxed. One or two more lies and he'd be home free.

"No but this isn't the first time this happened so he lets me borrow some clothes and gives me a place to sleep till morning,"

"I see," the officer said and his two followers nodded. Naruto felt like he'd just fought three Kages and lived. It was an incredible feeling, really.

"Let's go," the officer said and Naruto blanched.

"W-What?" Naruto stuttered and the officer gave him an odd look.

"Let's go to your friend's house. I want to make sure you get their safely," he informed Naruto and they began walking in the direction Naruto mentioned. Naruto cursed his luck once more and they walked in silence. He thanked whatever divine being actually cared for him as soon as everything started to look familiar. He didn't recognize it immediately because it was night but he could've sworn that he'd been there before.

It didn't hit him until they were only ten feet from the humongous home. More like mansion.

"Are you sure this is where your friend lives?" one of the officer's lackeys asked skeptically. Naruto paused, looking down the road to see no other houses around. If he said no, they'd probably send him to jail or something. If he told them he'd gotten confused, they'd think he was stupid and then he'd have to think of another place where his 'friend' might live. Neither of which was a good idea.

He'd just have to wing it until he saw the perfect opportunity to run off.

"Yeah," Naruto said before looking up at the sky. "You can stop this," he mumbled and the three officers stared at him oddly. He just smiled.

They walked up to the gate where they were greeted by two guards.

"What business do you have here…Uchiha?" the man asked darkly and the lead officer, presumably the Uchiha, scoffed.

"This punk claims that he comes here every so often whenever he gets locked out of his apartment," Naruto was behind the Uchiha officer but he could _hear _the smirk in the man's voice. The guard looked at Naruto before shaking his head.

"Never seen him before in my life," he stated. Naruto could've sworn the guard had given a stare that looked like he'd seen a ghost but he brushed it aside. "Have you?" the second guard did the same, shocked look and all, before composing himself and shaking his head in silent agreement.

"I see," the officers said as they turned and faced Naruto. There was a small light by the guard's posts and with it; Naruto finally saw each of the officer's features.

The two lackeys looked like they could be brothers, or at the very least, close cousins and looked distantly related to the asshole Uchiha from earlier.

What was his name? Bah, it didn't matter; though it did startle Naruto when he noticed that the lead officer had a stronger resemblance to the aforementioned asshole Uchiha.

"No wait!" Naruto said as the officers looked like they were about to arrest him.

"Halt!" The Uchiha officers stopped in their tracks and turned to see someone walk towards them from inside the mansion. Naruto's eyes widened at the 'someone'. "I know him," the 'someone' said with a smirk.

"Let him in," Naruto felt relieved and horrified at the same time. Still, he didn't let it show as he walked up to his savior. "Follow me," Naruto did as he was told, somewhat reluctantly though. The two walked past the guards and into the mansion. Once inside, Naruto's savior still remained silent as he continued forward into his home and up the stairs nearby.

"Wait, I-"

"Take off your shoes before you enter. Make sure you stay close to me or you'll get lost."

Naruto looked down at his feet, embarrassed. "I'm not wearing any shoes."

His savior paused before continuing up the stairs. "I'm sorry, I seem to have mistaken your dirt-black feet for shoes. Please wipe them on the rag before following me,"

Naruto grumbled as he wiped his feet and quickly ran up the stairs. "No running!"

"No running, blah blah," Naruto mocked to himself as he caught up to his savior and followed him silently. They walked past many rooms, made many turns, passing many framed pictures and artifacts that looked more expensive than the mansion did.

They finally entered a room on the left and when the door was closed, Naruto faced his savior.

"I know I owe you a thanks but I'm-" Naruto wasn't given a chance to finish as a chakra-powered palm was sent to his stomach and made him cough up some blood. He fell, first to his knees and then on his side. He struggled to breathe before glaring up at his savior/attacker.

"That is for Hinata," the statement was cold and angry and amused at the same time. Naruto glared into Neji's silver eyes before standing, although sluggish and off balanced.

"So I'm guessing you heard what happened back there, huh?" Neji raised an eyebrow. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

"Yes, I was there. And now, you're going to go find her and apologize to her," Neji said.

Naruto scoffed. "Says who?"

"I just saved you from spending a not-so-lonely night in prison and am about to loan you clothes to wear so you won't approach my little sister so indignantly," true to his word, Neji began to search his closet for some clothes. He tossed Naruto a brown shirt and white shorts. Both were pretty dirty by Neji's standards, wearable by Naruto's.

Naruto quickly put them on and watched as Neji looked at him and shrugged his shoulders. "It will do,"

"Wait, whoa! I don't know who you think you are but-" Neji hit Naruto with another palm to the stomach and sent him sprawling to the floor. Neji grabbed Naruto by his hair and made him look up at him.

"I am the one who saved your ass from getting sodomized by lonely ex-shinobi! And you'll repay me by undoing the harm you've inflicted on my dear sister. Should you fail, I'll guarantee that you'll never have to worry about problems that only the _living_ bother to worry about, got it?" Neji asked in a deadly voice. Naruto got the message and nodded abruptly.

Neji smirked. "She's at the library,"

**[*.*.*.*]**

Naruto had no idea how he'd done it, but he finally found the fricking library that Neji spoke of. All the silver-eyed bastard said was that it wasn't too far to walk to but not close enough to see from the mansion.

Bastard.

At any rate, Naruto sighed and walked up to the library's doors and looked at it. The doors looked like they belonged on a giant's front door. He looked down at the door knob and doubted that it was open so he looked up and saw windows; four of them to be exact. And one so happened to be slightly opened. It was hard to see but Naruto managed to see the gap so he climbed up the wall with his chakra-powered feet and slowly opened the window.

It squeaked as it moved, protesting against Naruto's hand. It was too loud and Naruto had hoped to sneak up on Hinata. If he tried to open the window, it'd reveal his arrival and spoil what little fun he found in the 'mission' Neji assigned to him. So he walked around the buildings and found that all windows were closed…

…Except for the smallest window right at ground level. Naruto stared at it with a deadpan expression. It was unlocked and didn't squeak when he opened it. However, he doubted he could fit through it. He wasn't the fattest man in the world but he wasn't exactly six anymore, either. He sighed and thrust his hands in first, then his head, and then his torso.

Everything was going great until the window slid down its frame and onto Naruto's lower back. He let out a gasp of pain before biting his inner cheek. He swallowed down the pain and tried to push his body in but to no avail. He tried to push it out again; same result.

He cursed to himself, till he was blue in the face. He then felt light fall upon him and it stung his eyes. He blocked it out with his hands and groaned.

"Naru-Naruto?" Naruto's body froze, stock-still as he pretended to be invisible, or at least a rock. "Naruto?" he didn't even breathe; that was how dedicated he was to not be there.

"I can see you, you know?" Hinata said and after a few more seconds, Naruto took in a breath and hung his upper body in defeat.

***.***

"You know, remaining still doesn't make you invisible," Hinata said after helping Naruto out of his predicament and into a nearby chair by the tables. Naruto just grumbled, his chin resting on his right palm and his elbow resting on the table. "And the entrance doors weren't locked," Naruto's eyes widened and he looked at Hinata. She just smiled a knowing smile as she waved a key ring with a single key.

"Damn doors," he mumbled grumpily.

"So," she said after letting him cool down. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm here becau-" he paused, remembering what Neji told him before he left.

"_Don't tell her I sent you or so help me…"_

He let the threat hang in the air but it made no difference to Naruto. "I came here looking for you, to apologize," Naruto said reluctantly. Hinata blushed, surprised by his words.

"What?"

"You heard me," he said while looking away. He took in a breath. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be… well, mean."

"…" Hinata just stared at him and then at her hands. The shock eventually wore off and she smiled. "I know this must not be easy for you,"

"Tch."

"I'm sorry too," she said. Naruto looked at her through raised eyebrows. "I didn't mean to walk off like that. My friends mean the world to me and for you to brush them off as if they were nothing made me feel sad," she admitted and Naruto looked at her before sighing.

"You have no reason to be sorry, I'm the idiot here," he told her and reached for her good hand. He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. "I should've known how important your friends are to you but I decided to ignore that and call you selfish. I'm sorry,"

"I don't remember you calling me selfish," she mentioned and he sweat-dropped.

"Well…" he stopped and he looked into her eyes. He blushed and his eyes darted to the left. "Do you forgive me or what?" he asked and Hinata giggled.

"I do," Naruto smiled.

"I'm glad," he said and Hinata stood.

"Well, I'm going home," she said and walked towards the entrance doors. She paused to look back at Naruto who was getting up as well. "Mind walking me home? I bet you know how to get there now,"

Naruto began to sweat. "W-What makes you say that?"

"Because of my tour, remember?" she asked and Naruto smiled sheepishly.

"R-Right!" he ran up to her and they both headed for Hinata's home.

"Neji is a bully, isn't he?" she asked and Naruto nodded subconsciously. "You know he really wouldn't kill you, right?"

"I know but…" he paused as a revelation hit him. Hinata held back her fit of giggles. "Hey!" Hinata giggled as Naruto finally caught on. "You knew the whole time? Did you set this whole thing up?"

"No but only he knows that I come to the library when I feel sad," she said and Naruto pocketed his hands. "Or, he used to be the only one," she said and gave him a heartfelt smile.

"That sounds logical," Naruto confessed.

"And because those are Neji's training clothes."

"And there it is. I knew there was a simple explanation for it. All is well in the world again," Naruto joked and received an elbow to the ribs by Hinata's good arm. There was a smirk on her lips so Naruto knew she wasn't upset.

Naruto returned the smile in kind. "So why do you come to the library?"

"The library has tons of books on stories that my mother used to read to me. It helps me relax when I read a story or two," Naruto nodded and they continued walking until Naruto could see the mansion.

"Did you really know he threatened me or did you guess?"

"I know my brother," she answered and stopped. Naruto stopped with her. Before he could say anything, she kissed him.

On the cheek.

"Goodnight," she said and walked off to the entrance where she greeted the guards with a happy smile and a nod before entering her home. Neji opened the door just before she touched the doorknob. He turned his head in the direction where Naruto was and smiled knowingly before closing the door.

Naruto shivered and walked off in a random direction.

"I guess I could always go back and ask if they got an extra room I can sleep in," Naruto looked up and saw dark clouds start to appear. "Looks like that's a 'no', as straight as a 'no' as you can get from the big guys upstairs."

"You can come home," Naruto jumped and turned to see Kushina smiling at him. He placed his hand over his heart before glaring.

"You should wear a bell," Kushina chuckled before walking up to him and hugging him.

"I love you, Naruto-chan," she said and Naruto blushed. He didn't know what to say so he just returned the hug. "Let's go, it's getting late and only freaks and weirdoes come out at this time,"

Just as she said that, Kakashi and Obito came walking along on the other side of the street.

"You should totally ask Anko out!" Obito said to Kakashi, who was walking with a limp. They both had blushes on their faces and slurred when they spoke.

"Shut up! You know what she does to guys who like her!" he scolded. Naruto and Kushina continued to watch as they argued on the same subject before changing it to the less than favorable subject of the Icha Icha series. Or at least to Kushina it was less than favorable.

She'd deal with those two later, when there'd be less witnesses.

"I told you," Kushina said and Naruto sighed.

"Konoha is a strange place," he said and let his mother drag him past the shopping district and the Hokage's office. After a few minutes, they stopped in front a giant house. Not too big to be considered a mansion, not too small to be considered a normal-sized house.

"Nice," Naruto commented and Kushina nodded with a smile. They entered and Naruto saw many personal possessions such as paintings and pictures hanging on the wall. Naruto ignored the ones with Minato and solely focused on his mother.

"I'll lead you to the guest room," Kushina said and Naruto nodded. He followed her past the living room and into the hallway. There were four doors in all, two on the left, one on the right and one across from the living room. Kushina opened the only one on the right.

Naruto walked in and found a queen sized bed with a nightstand, a TV, and a closet. The moonlight coming from the window helped him see everything in the room so he didn't need to turn on the light. It wasn't messy but Naruto could tell that it was occupied once in a while. Kushina decided against telling him that Minato would sleep in this room whenever she got upset with him.

"The door right across from this room is the bathroom," Kushina told him softly and then pointed to the door across from the living room. Naruto followed her finger. "That leads the second floor where my room is. Usually, Minato-kun comes home late so if you hear the door open and someone walking by your room, it's likely to be him."

Naruto nodded vacantly and went to sit on the bed. Kushina wanted to sit by him and hold him, run her hands through his hair as she did so but decided not to. He was conflicted and her actions would only confuse him more.

"Goodnight Naruto-chan," she said and Naruto blushed but managed to mumble a 'night'. She smiled before she stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her. Naruto heard her open a door and walk up a flight of stairs. He could faintly hear her footsteps walking around, doing some things, and then likely plopping herself on the bed to fall asleep.

Naruto stayed on the bed, unmoving and silent, his mind going through a thousand thoughts per second. He then got up and explored the room, finding all sorts of things he'd expected to find in the guest bedroom; except for one thing…

Just like Kushina said, Naruto heard the front door open and close later that night. He looked at the clock hanging on the wall. Thanks to the moonlight, he saw that it was two in the morning. He heard footsteps pass his room, only to stop and turn. Naruto jumped back on his bed – silently thanking whatever deity was watching over him for giving him a non-squeaky bed – and pretended to be asleep.

The door opened and Minato peered inside. He was sure he felt a chakra-signature in the room and was surprised to see Naruto. He looked at Naruto's sleeping form for a long while before shaking his head and closing the door. Naruto opened one eye and heard Minato walk up the steps and directly to his room.

Naruto sat there, his heart beating violently against his chest.

'_This is it! This could be my chance!'_ he thought as he sat up. A vindictive smile appeared on his lips. _'I just have to wait.'_

Luckily, he didn't have to wait long as he heard snoring come from the room above his. He smiled as he opened the door and stepped into the hallway. He was glad that neither the floor nor door squeaked as he opened it. He tiptoed down the hall and opened the door Kushina told him would lead him to their room. He climbed them as silently as he could until he was on the second floor.

He was met with a second hallway with three doors. The door on the left was open so he could see inside it. It was the bathroom.

The door in front of him and the one on the left weren't closed but there weren't open enough to show him what lay behind them.

He didn't need them to be open anyway; he could hear the snoring come from the door on the right. He walked to the door and gently pushed it opened. It squeaked, just once, and Naruto froze in his place. The darkness would give him cover but it wouldn't save him if Minato or Kushina awoke and turned on the light.

The snoring continued and Naruto heard no sound come from the room so he took it as a sign that he hadn't been caught. He pushed the door again and this time, it made no protest.

Naruto stepped into the room and saw that it was as plain as the guest bedroom. There was a TV on top of a dresser, a king-sized bed across from it and a closet to the right. The window was all the way on the left and the shades were drawn, painting the room in darkness.

Thanks to the 'gifts' he received for being the jinchūriki of the infamous Kyūbi, Naruto was able to walk by the discarded clothes and shoes on the floor without tripping over them. Minato was on the right side of the bed so that's where Naruto went to.

He stood over the Kage with malicious intent sparking in his eyes. He watched Minato breathing softly, not a peep coming from his nose or mouth. Naruto blinked and looked up to his mother, watching as her mouth remained open, the snore coming from her throat. Naruto bit his inner cheek to keep the laughter from coming out his throat. He shook it off and looked down at Minato again and took out a kunai he found in the guest bedroom.

He held it over Minato and was about to thrust it forward but stopped when he replayed the events of the day. Minato meant a lot to his mother, to Hinata. He remembered her words, Hinata's and Kushina's, and silently growled, struggling to end Minato's life once and for all.

"_Don't say that to your father!"_ Kushina's words ran in his head.

"_I don't expect it too but please try, for me?" _Naruto's grip on the kunai loosened a bit and he thrust his hand forward. It stopped before the tip of the kunai even grazed Minato's nose.

He couldn't do it. He didn't have the motivation, the drive to do it. Not anymore. He scoffed and sneered at the man.

"You're not my father," Naruto whispered lowly. "You can't be…" With that, Naruto walked out of the room, not caring if he woke Minato or Kushina anymore. He stepped into the hallway and tossed the kunai haphazardly. It landed on door in between the other two doors and gave it enough momentum to open it.

It squeaked as it opened but by then, Naruto was already half way down the stairs.

One singular azure orb looked at the dark hallway – having watched Naruto leave the room – before closing.

* * *

**Tenshi: Hentai-kun! Where are you?**

**...: Are you serious?**

**Tenshi****:WERE YOU LOOKIN IN MY UNDERWEAR DRAW AGIAN!**

**Me: EH?**

**Tenshi: than what are you hiding?**

**Me: /)/(\ nothing...**

**Anyway, that's it for this chapter... Unfortunately, I forgot to upload the revised version where i added a little more but i'll post it soon.. Got no internet.. again...**

**Oh, for those who sent me PSN IDs, thanks, i'll look forward to fighting you but at the moment, I'm not gonna be able to get on PSN... So, our fight is on hold, sadly...**

**I'll post the next chapter soon and.. well...**

**It's not exactly gunna be all rainbows and sunshine...**

**Whch reminds me... Sasuke must die! [the one in my story i mean...]**

**Till next time!**

**And don't believe her! I do not have any underwear!**

**Bye!**

**Next Chapter: Destiny Follows No Man's Orders!**

******Good luck with whatever and if you got a problem with me or one of my stories, please feel free to: Deal with it, Get over it or Choke on it...**


	11. Destiny Follows No Man's Orders!

**Yo, sorry it took so long...**

**Chapter;s shorter than usual..**

**Oh well...**

**Hope its good enough...**

**Chapter 10: ****Destiny Follows No Man's Orders**...

**I don't own anything...**

* * *

Two days have passed and just like Minato said, there was a meeting being held. Minato cursed himself for pushing the Council meeting aside as if it was some kind of balloon. Sooner or later, they'd stick their nose where it didn't belong.

"Kushina, please hang on to your temper. You've got a reputation as a hothead for some reason," Minato pleaded.

She scowled at him. "I do not."

"And for being stubborn and contrary."

"I am not."

Minato had a worn smile before it disappeared and he looked around the meeting room. It just sucked that his advisors decided to involve every Jonin and Clan head in the entire stickin' village. The clan heads stood in a line in front of Minato's desk while everyone else was scattered throughout the room. Sigh, such a life…

"Quiet," Minato said in a soft voice and everyone in the room became silent. No one wanted to be the one who upset the infamous Yellow Flash.

"Lord Hokage," A random Jonin shouted from the back. "I heard rumors of Kumo declaring war on us," he said and Minato cursed under his breath. He hadn't heard anything like that but he wouldn't doubt it. He looked at his wife who hung back with his students. She seemed worried but stubborn.

"I have heard no such things and I highly doubt that it will happen," he said and he saw the crowd visibly relax. "No, I have summoned you here because there is something I need to announce," Just then, they all heard murmurs coming from outside the room. They were from the secretary that stood 'guard' of the meeting. Then, Minato heard a male's voice bark out something, followed by a softer voice, more hesitant.

Then, the doors of the room burst open and there stood an impatient blond with a shy indigo-haired teen. The blond wore a blood red sleeveless muscle shirt with black pants and black ninja shoes. Beside him, the indigo-haired teen wore the same tan sweater and navy blue pants she always wore.

Everyone who glanced at him had their eyes widened in surprise and their mouths left agape. Only a handful of people gave the newcomers a small nod.

"I'm glad you've arrived," Minato said with a hint of humor. Naruto only growled out in response and scoffed.

"Like I care," Naruto replied and got a couple of sneers and glares from the Jonin. Naruto glared back and felt a hand fall on his right shoulder. He didn't need to see who it was, he already knew. He sighed and nodded at Hinata without turning his head.

"What are two _children_ doing here?" a male jonin asked and Naruto growled. Minato cleared his throat before his wife could speak for him.

"I asked them to be here," he said with authority and everyone stared at Minato as if he was insane. "They are the reason I called for this meeting," Minato said and the crowd started to murmur to themselves again.

Naruto took this time to look around, to take in the room. It was a pretty big room and allowed a lot of breathing room, even with this many people in one room. Minato sat behind a giant desk and two old people sat at his sides; one a woman and the other a man.

His hands slipped up and grabbed Hinata's left hand and he gave it a squeeze. Hinata smiled and returned the squeeze with one of her own. Off to the side, Naruto's eyes connected with silver ones. He stared back unflinching and Neji smirked.

Minato looked on and felt his patience start to slip a bit. Only one person noticed, or at least cared enough to speak on his behalf.

"Quiet, everyone! Our youthful Hokage wishes to inform us with knowledge that will increase our own Flames of Youth!" a man shouted and Naruto's gaze immediately went to a man with a bowl-cut hairstyle and giant centipede-like eyebrows. His outfit consisted of a green jumpsuit and a jonin vest.

'_What the hell…?'_

"Thank you, Guy," Minato said, earning a nod from said man. "I'm not going to beat around the bush about it," Minato said and gave Naruto one last look. Naruto's eyes widened. He wouldn't…

"Spit it out already," Obito declared impatiently and glared at the Jonin who tried to shut him up. He even shoved Kakashi back when he tried to shut him up.

"The boy, right over there, is my son," he said and everyone who didn't already know turned and faced Naruto with shocked eyes and opened mouths. Naruto growled at them and even suppressed the urge to hit every one of them when they either bowed or knelt in front of him. Hypocrites…

"Get up!" Naruto barked, making everyone look at him oddly. "I'm no different than the _child_ that entered this room ten minutes ago. And now that you know who I am you start bowing? Cut the crap," he said and received mixed emotions from the crowd.

Minato, Kushina, Hiashi, Neji, Kakashi and Obito wanted to burst out laughing but instead, settled with a smile, smirk, or snigger. Hinata wished she could blend with the wall or at least turn back time and stop Naruto's outburst.

"I don't like suck-ups," he told them and those who bowed sneered at him.

"Child," one of the two elders, the woman, said as she stood. "It would be wise to behave and act respectful to your elders and superiors," she finished and the way she said it made Naruto feel like she wasn't giving him a choice.

"I don't like bullies, either," he said and for a quick second, his eyes flashed to Neji who continued to smirk.

"Anyway," Minato said and regained the attention of the room again. "He's my son and after a long search, I have found him."

Naruto was about to speak but someone beat him to it. "What makes you so sure?" another old man, one that looked identical to a mummy, asked as he walked with a walking stick.

"Danzō," Minato growled under his breath.

"You say he's your son because he looks like you? How do we know it is not the work of cosmetics or surgery and he's just a spy from another village, sent here to gain the trust of the Hokage and learn of the village's secrets?" the war hawk asked and Minato's eyes narrowed slightly. It was only thanks to Kakashi and Obito that Kushina didn't kill Danzō. There were silent murmurs from the crowd and Minato could hear the uncertainty in their tone.

"Paranoid old man," Naruto mumbled, breaking the tension and causing some of the less mature jonin to stiffle out a laugh. Danzō turned his head to Naruto and stared him down. Naruto didn't flinch.

"I am only thinking of my village's safety," Danzō said and gave Naruto a fake smile. "Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible shinobi waiting to strike me down when my back is turned," Obito flinched slightly but other than that, he only glared at the old man.

"That's enough," Minato said and everyone turned to him. "I have proof that he is my son," Minato said before taking out a scroll from one of the pockets in his vest. The second Naruto saw it, he immediately recognized it.

"Everyone remembers the sealing jutsu my wife invented, right? The one that can steal your chakra with just a drop of your blood?" Everyone stiffened but nodded in agreement. "The one that can only be activated by Uzumaki or Namikaze blood?"

'_When __the hell did you take one of my scolls?'_ Kushina thought angrily and when Minato met her gaze, he sweat dropped and smiled innocently. Still, it didn't take a genius to figure out where Minato was going with that. Naruto was way ahead of him.

"You tricked me," Naruto said, loud enough for Minato to hear him and he shook his head.

"I did it to convince you that I was telling you the truth and to make sure you were my son," Minato retorted and Naruto glared at him. He couldn't blame Minato for doing it; it was quite clever, really, and no one respected cleverness more than Naruto. Still, Naruto didn't like feeling used.

"What is this nonsense?" Danzō asked and Minato tossed the scroll to him.

"Try to activate it," Danzō looked at the scroll, than at him. "Very simple, just concentrate and look for the bond trapped in the scroll."

Danzō did and after some time, he cursed and handed the scroll back to Minato. "What did you feel?"

"A bond. There's a connection between two chakra-signatures surrounded by some sort of barrier. One of them is yours; I recognize it. But the other…"

"Belongs to me," Naruto finished his statement and someone in the room gasped.

"Ridiculous," the male elder declared. Naruto gave him a skeptical look before giving Minato a look of wonder. Minato threw the scroll to Naruto and he caught it in his left hand. He placed his right on top of Minato's blood and closed his eyes.

In seconds, Minato began to pant and sweat as he placed both hands on the desk in front of him to help support his suddenly heavy body.

"Lord Hokage!" one of the Jonin shouted as they rushed to help him.

"Stop!" he ordered and they did. Naruto continued to take chakra from Minato until he felt Hinata's eyes on him. He looked at her and bit his inner cheek before stopping and rolling up the scroll. Everyone in the room stared at Naruto who took in a deep breath and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. It still took a lot of concentration to do but Naruto was starting to get the hang of it.

Naruto dropped the scroll and let it roll until it swerved to the left and stopped at the feet of a jonin. The jonin bent forward and picked up the scroll. He examined it for a second before looking into Naruto's eyes with his Sharingan.

'_Another one? How many are there?' _Naruto could tell this guy was Sasuke's brother with some key differences. Sasuke's brother deactivated his Sharingan and then nodded, as if in approval. He walked up to Minato and handed him the scroll. Minato looked at it as he searched for his second wind.

"Do you believe… me now?" he asked breathlessly. Many of the jonin looked at one another before nodding.

"Great, I feel so accepted," Naruto said sarcastically, earning more glares from the jonin. Naruto glared back.

"What's this?" Naruto froze when he heard Danzō's voice come from behind him. His eyes moved to focus on him and saw his Iwa forehead protector hanging limply in his hands. Minato groaned in his hands.

"An Iwa forehead protector?" both elder advisors asked.

"I was born and raised in Iwa, no big deal," Naruto said, though his confidence behind his words started to waiver. He didn't have any delusions that he could take on the entire room on in a head-on fight but he didn't want to let them know he was scared or intimidated. Not showing them the fear was only half the battle after all.

"So, he is from an enemy village," Danzō said to himself, though everyone heard him.

"Yes but he's no harm to us," Minato assured. "I-"

"That's all well and good but can we take your word for it?" Danzō asked and Minato, Kushina and Naruto glared at him.

'_He's starting his plan,'_ Naruto thought as he remembered the talk he, Hinata, Kushina and Minato had before they arrived here.

"_You will be faced with adversaries," Minato said as he paced in the middle of the living room and Naruto scoffed as he leaned back on the couch in Minato's home. Hinata sat beside him while Kushina sat on the smaller couch adjacent to Naruto._

"_I don't care, let them hate me," Naruto said and Minato shook his head._

"_Normally, I'd agree but you have a very influential man up against you. His name is Danzō."_

"_Sounds like a punk," Naruto muttered, gaining a laugh from his mother._

_Minato ignored his comment. "If you cross him, he just might force me to imprison you, enslave you or maybe even… execute you," Minato informed them and Naruto gulped. So did Hinata. Kushina just tried to not go crazy._

"_No way," Naruto said breathlessly. Minato only nodded._

"_What are we going to do about it?" Kushina asked._

"_Nothing," he said, much to their surprise. "At least, not yet," he kept looking at Naruto and Kushina intently. "Keep your tempers, both of you. Danzō will have three plans to bring you down," Minato muttered, his eyes gleaming with something ugly. "A plan, a backup plan, and an ace in the hole. I'll shoot the first one down, and Kushina and I will help you with the second. The third is all yours, though."_

"_Wha-" Naruto began._

"_We're running late, let's go," Minato interrupted and left the home. Before he got far, he paused and turned back to Naruto. "And please, leave your forehead protector off, at least until after the meeting,"_

_Naruto growled but obliged as he undid his forehead protector and pocketed it._

'_Maybe I should've left it home…'_ Naruto thought a bit begrudgingly. He felt warm steel press against his arm and he looked down to see Hinata holding his forehead protector against him as her eyes remained focused on the area in front of her.

"…I deny your request," Naruto heard Minato say and saw the mummy-man fuming. Naruto turned to Hinata with a questioning gaze while grabbing his forehead protector.

"Thanks. What'd I miss?" he asked and Hinata's eyes never left Danzō.

"Elder Danzō tried to enslave you, interrogate you for Iwa's secrets and/or weaknesses and basically turn you into a mindless tool." Naruto turned his glare to Danzō. "But your father shut him down,"

"There's no proof of that,"

"You look like him,"

"I also look like my sensei,"

"Not really and besides, you were able to activate the chakra-absorbing scroll,"

"I could be Kushina's sister's kid or long lost second cousin," Naruto said and even he knew that that was a sad attempt at an excuse; he didn't need Hinata's deadpanned expression to tell him that. "Shut up, I know…"

"I understand that you might want to treat this boy like a king, Lord Hokage but think of the village," Danzō persisted and Naruto groaned. He purposely did it loud enough for Danzō to hear but Danzō didn't respond. "Am I to understand that you are willing to put the safety of the entire village into the hands of this boy whose allegiance belongs to our enemy?"

He turned and faced the entire crowd of Jonin and clan heads. "Do you think it is fair to leave the decision up to one man?" he asked and everyone talked amongst themselves. Naruto could see some turn and look at him while they talked. It didn't look like it was falling in his favor.

Minato slammed his hands on the table, eliciting a loud roar that echoed in the room. Everyone turned to face the man they all feared and respected. His face was impassive but everyone could feel the amount of anger he was releasing.

"Whether or not he's my son is not the question nor is it the problem here. I will refuse to enslave or interrogate any child, no matter what background or heritage," he gave Danzō a glare at could've frozen the man into a block of ice.

"You have managed to keep it hidden but I know the truth and when I find the proof I need, you will hang," the statement sent a chill down everyone's spine but Danzō managed to recover.

"You let your emotions get the best of you, Hokage," he said as he put his hands behind his back.

"Lord Hokage to you," Minato snarled and Danzō nodded.

"Regardless of his birthright, you cannot deny that this is the perfect opportunity to learn of Iwa's weaknesses and finally get the upper hand on them. Or at the very least, use him as a bargaining item,"

"I already denied your request," Minato reminded and Danzō rubbed his chin with his right hand.

"Yes, I know but this is a new proposal, one that will be decided by the Jonin and clan heads of Konoha,"

"I already denied it!" Minato growled, showing his displeasure at being disobeyed.

"Ah, yes, but didn't you once say that decisions that affect Konoha as a whole should not be made by one man alone?" Danzō asked and Minato clenched his fist.

"I did," Minato answered, although begrudgingly. He could see that Danzō had led him into a political corner. He had mentioned that if one should find his decision unfair and biased that they could bring it up to vote. Damn his kindness…

"And I feel that this should be taken under consideration of the very people who fight to protect our home. Who knows, maybe Iwa plans to start another war because we hold one of their own," Danzō assumed and many Jonin started to mutter silent agreements. Minato, Kushina, Hinata and Naruto knew this wasn't good.

"Who are we to waste the lives of brave men and women for the life of one who is not even our own kind?" More murmurs of agreement. "Very well then. We vote upon what we will do with the Iwa-nin. Let those who wish to let the Hokage decide vote for, and those who favor to gather as much information about Iwa from him vote against. All in fav-"

"Wait," Hiashi interjected. "I invoke my right as clan head to reduce the vote to the clan heads and honored elders alone."

"On what grounds, Lord Hyūga?" Minato asked, hiding his excitement behind a stoic façade. Hiashi faced Minato, his own mask stoic. Naruto gulped and looked at Hinata. Was that her father?

"On the grounds that there exists a great deal of information about this matter that everyone in this room is unaware of. It would be impractical to attempt to explain it all,"

"Seconded," Shikaku murmured tiredly.

"Accord," Kushina added, "Three votes yea, _honored _elder," Kushina said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Let the clan heads and the honored elders make this decision."

"You are neither honored elder nor clan head," Danzō sneered and Kushina smirked.

"Not true, I still retain my status as Uzumaki clan head," she answered and almost laughed at Danzō's sudden rage. "I'm just married to Lord Hokage and bore his child."

Naruto recoiled in disgust; too much information. Still, his heart began to beat again. Hiashi had made the right call. In a room full of men and women who feared war, Naruto didn't have a prayer if it meant that he could be the proverbial lamb. With it reduced to the honored elders and clan heads, he still had a fighting chance.

Danzō wasn't too far off, though. If Naruto knew the old man like he thought he did, Konoha would receive a letter from Iwa soon and chances were, it wasn't going to be good news. Hopefully, it wouldn't be for another few days but by the amount of luck he'd been having recently, his heart started skittering in his chest.

Minato could almost see Danzō try to worm his way out of this but it was clear that he wasn't.

"Very well," Danzō said after taking in a deep breath. "My interests lie in preserving the health and safety of the village. I vote for the child to be arrested and given a thorough interrogation,"

Another man walked up to Danzō and looked around at the people around him with a critical stare. Naruto recognized him as the Officer from two nights ago. "As do I, for the same reasons."

Naruto's eyes narrowed at the two.

Kushina spoke next. "I've spent the last three days with him. In those three days, I've gotten to know him fairly well. He's a good kid. I vote to allow the Hokage to decide."

"I say to allow the Hokage to decide," Hiashi informed them and Minato nodded a nod of gratitude.

"As do we," Shikaku said, speaking for him and his two friends, Chōza and Inoichi. "This is not a solution, it is merely an action."

Naruto five, bad guys two. Naruto turned his eyes to the next person in line. This one was a woman who looked as feral as Kiba had. Naruto thought it over before slamming his palms into his forehead. Just his luck…

"My instincts tell me that he'd do more good behind a cell with I&T searching for information in his skull; I vote for the interrogation," she said and Naruto sighed.

"Logic tells me that if we can prevent any further fighting in the future between our two villages, we should not let opportunity slip our grasp," A man with sunglasses argued and nodded his head. "I vote for the interrogation,"

"We also agree with the Aburame's reasoning," the two honored elders said. Naruto felt sweat travel down his brow as he did the math in his head. Currently, it wasn't looking so good for him; the bad guys had one more vote than he did. Finally, Naruto noticed the last man standing off to the side.

He wore a dark robe over him and a dark purple, almost black stole that had a deep cowl upon it as well. Even though the sun illuminated the entire room, no one could see past the shadows that rested under the cowl. He was tall, teller than anyone in the room. His arms were folded, hands hidden within the voluminous sleeves of his robe.

Every eye in the room turned to the final member, and a silence deeper than that of the nearby Valley of the End enveloped the room.

It lasted for long moments, then Danzō prompted, quietly. "Honored Eldest One, what say you?"

Naruto tried to play it off but he couldn't help but lean forward a bit, his mouth dry. If he voted against Naruto, then he didn't doubt that an ANBU would appear out of nowhere and knock him out before the sound of the Eldest One's voice died away.

Still, he said nothing.

"Eldest One," Danzō said, his voice more urgent. "How do you vote?"

The Eldest One's cowl rose up slightly. "I must hear what word brings the messenger," he answered cryptically.

"What messenger?" Obito blurted out and right when he asked that, the doors burst open, hard, and a man with a Jonin vest ran past his comrades and up to the Hokage.

"Izumo, what-?" Minato began but was stopped by the sudden folded paper being placed on his desk.

"I have a message from Iwa," he said breathlessly and everyone immediately laid their eyes on Naruto. He glared at them.

"What?"

"What does the message say?" Danzō asked in a tone that suggested that he knew. Minato read the message in the paper before it crumpled in his hands.

"The Tsuchikage wishes the return of his shinobi," Minato informed.

"And what if we say no?" Danzō asked arrogantly and Minato glared at him.

"War," the answer was short but surely not sweet. Panic quickly spread to everyone's faces and even Naruto felt a bit fidgety.

"War?" Hinata repeated with uncertainty and fear and Minato nodded. Side conversations picked up as the thought of war sent the room into chaos. Kushina could hear majority of conversations consist of either simply giving Naruto back to them or threaten to kill him so the Tsuchikage could think twice about war. She looked up at her husband and could see that he heard them. Minato slammed his hands back on the desk; bring back order into the room.

"We do not fear petty threats," Minato told everyone in the room, his voice filling the room with his power and authority. "And we do not respond well to bullies."

"Then let them have the boy!" Danzō suggested. "They will leave us alone and we can get on with our lives. We can continue to live in peace."

"Peace cannot be bought, honored Danzō," Hiashi told Danzō. "History teaches that lesson. I learned it. You should have, too."

"I don't know what you're babbling on about but-"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "He's talking about the First Hokage capturing and spreading out the Bijū to the other Elemental Nations, dolt. He had attempted to purchase peace with compromise but look how each village acts towards each other," Naruto said and looked around to see people giving him odd looks, even Hinata, Minato and Kushina.

"What? I know my trivia," he murmured.

"You were not recognized, Iwa-nin. Until you have the floor, you will refrain from such outbursts or I will have you removed from this meeting."

Naruto clenched his teeth and crossed his arms over his chest. "Sorry. Here, I thought you guys wanted to protect your own people from death. What was I thinking?"

"We will protect no one, _child_, if we are dead," Danzō snapped. "Be silent or be removed."

"Danzō," Minato snarled, earning said man's attention. "I don't know who you think you are but you are not the Hokage of this village. I am!" Danzō flinched at his tone but nodded all the same.

"You will watch your tone of voice while in my presence," Minato ordered and the mummy nodded again.

"Can we get back to the vote?" the feral clan head asked and Minato continued to stare at Danzō before nodding and turning his gaze to the Eldest One.

"How do you vote?" Minato asked and the Eldest One just stared at Naruto. Or it seemed that way at least; his cowl was facing him.

"The Chūnin Exams is nearing," he mentioned, leaving everyone confused.

"What?" Danzō questioned and the Eldest One turned his cowl in his direction.

"I say we put the child through a Trial," he continued. "One mission, one Chūnin Exam."

"What kind of stupidity…" the Uchiha clan head started before being interrupted.

"I see," Minato mumbled. "A sort of test," he explained and the Eldest One nodded.

"What kind of test is this? A test of loyalty? We already know where his loyalty stands. It stands beside our enemy," Danzō stated and the Eldest One shook his head.

"The details are a bit sketchy at best but I believe this Trial will put to rest the fears of one side of the issue, or prove falsely placed the faith of the other," the Eldest explained indistinctly. Naruto eyed the Eldest One and a sudden chill ran down his spine. This man was not normal.

"The Trial seems vague at best," Danzō said.

"But when have I ever led the village astray?" the Eldest One asked and everyone in the room had to agree that whenever the Eldest One spoke, it was always for the better of the village.

"Fine," Danzō admitted reluctantly. Minato just smiled.

"It's decided then. One mission and one chance at the Chūnin Exams," Minato repeated and the clan heads and honored elders nodded in agreement.

"But who says the boy will agree to it?" Shikaku asked and once again, all eyes turned to Naruto. He felt Hinata tightened her grip on his hand and he gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Looks like its sink or swim," Naruto mumbled under his breath. He released his hold on Hinata's hand and walked up to the Hokage. As he did, the crowd split down the middle to allow Naruto to approach Minato.

Naruto looked up at Minato, straight in the eyes.

"Genin of the Hidden Rock, Naruto…" Minato paused and Naruto laughed.

"Naruto of the Blazing Gale… Lord Hokage," he told him, straining a bit when he addressed Minato respectfully. Minato smiled proudly at his son.

"Naruto of the Blazing Gale. Do you accept the offer?" Naruto looked at each of the clan heads and honored elders with his eyes staying on the Eldest One. He wasn't sure if he was the only one who could see it but power leaked from the man. It was no ordinary power. It was an ancient sort of power; the kind of power that the Kyūbi possessed, if not older. A defiant smirk appeared on Naruto's lips as he turned his eyes on Minato.

"Yeah. I accept."

"Excellent," Minato said.

"However, till then, I suggest the boy be put under probation," Danzō suggested and Minato glared at him. "Nothing extreme. Just have him be under the supervision of a trustworthy shinobi."

"And I'm guessing you have a candidate in mind?" Minato asked and Danzō smirked. "I don't suppose I have much choice in this?" Minato asked and looked around to see the expression on his fellow comrades faces. They would seem more reassured if Naruto was always being under observation.

"Fine."

**[*.*.*.*]**

The rest of the meeting consisted of boring issues. At least to Naruto they were boring. That is, until he mentioned Kumo kidnapping Hinata.

The room exploded with outraged comments and ideas of retribution. Naruto didn't know what happened after that; he ran off before he got sucked into it again.

He decided against taking Hinata with him. Although he didn't think it was fair to leave her in that chaos, she seemed to be somewhat accustomed to that sort of thing.

That's what Naruto kept telling himself, anyway.

Now, he just sat on a branch on a tree just outside the building where the meeting continued. It was a decent-sized building near the Hokage's office, hard to miss if you knew where to look.

Naruto had his eyes closed as he replayed the entire meeting in his mind. Danzō had tried to imprison him and gain information on Iwa. Possibly even kill him if Iwa over stepped their boundaries. Naruto had no doubt that he'd be used as a human shield against Iwa should it come to that.

But Minato had stopped that from happening. So had Kushina, and the Hyūga head, and those other three. They each defended him even though he hardly knew any of them and vice-versa. He couldn't blame the glasses guy for choosing the other side. He was only looking out for peace through logic. The feral woman, however, was just a bitch. Plain and simple.

The Uchiha head wasn't exactly a nice guy, either. Old fools, him and the two other geezers.

But the Eldest One… What was his story?

"Not a very good hiding spot," Naruto's eyes sprang open and looked down to the see the Eldest One.

"Wasn't hiding," that was a lie.

"May I speak to you for a second, my child?" the elder of the two asked. Naruto groaned and fell back, flipping his body around in mid-fall, and managed to land on his feet. He walked up to the Eldest One.

"What's up with everyone claiming me as their kid?" Naruto muttered and the Eldest One laughed.

"I never tell a lie," the man said in a humorous tone. Naruto raised an eyebrow but said nothing as he watched the elder of the two try to place a hand on Naruto's head. Normally, Naruto wouldn't let anyone touch him the way the elder tried to but he couldn't move his body. Time seemed to slow down as the hand of the Eldest One crossed the gap and finally touched the top of Naruto's head.

Naruto's eyes widened as images flashed through his head in under a second. He grasped his head and fell to his knees, his brain pounding against the walls of its imprisonment.

Horrible images, ones of men and women lying on the ground, dead. Children burned to ashes where they stood and buildings torn down and burned. Naruto saw some of Konoha's people running in fear, dying as they were struck down by an unforeseen enemy. He saw his own people being killed and burned and washed away back in Iwa.

Many more images rushed by, all the same. The message was clear.

Death was inescapable.

When Naruto came to, he found himself hugging his knees with tears running down his cheeks. He looked up to see the Eldest One standing over him.

"My, my," he muttered. "You're a very special child."

"W-Wha… What did you do to me?" Naruto asked, afraid, nervous, and angry.

"I showed you a possibility," the older man answered. "My left hand is quite the pessimistic, you see," the Eldest One bent down and slowly stretched out his right hand.

"N-No!" Naruto cried out as he tried to put as much distance between him and the man in front of him. "I never want to go through that again!"

"And you won't, my child," his right hand landed on Naruto's head and once again, Naruto felt as if his brain was speeding through the air at a hundred miles per hour.

This time, the images came as fast and as gentle as a passing breeze. Images of children playing, women and men calmly walking around Konoha and Iwa respectfully, without a care in the world, invaded his head. He saw his friends, some old, some new, living new lives, with new family members and pets.

Overall, a sense of calmness and happiness washed over Naruto's heart. He had never felt such tranquility in his life.

All too soon, it ended and Naruto awoke to hear the sound of whimpering and found more tears streaming down his face. Except, they weren't of sadness or anger, but of joy and longing.

Naruto looked up at the robed man.

"Who…"

"I am the Eldest One," he said and even though Naruto couldn't see it, he could hear the smile in the man's voice.

"Is this… my future?" Naruto asked hesitantly and the man nodded. "Which one?"

"Whichever you want. It is up to you to decide whether or not the future is a bright one or a dark one," the Eldest One answered.

"Tell me what to do?" Naruto begged as he got up. "For the better one! I don't want to live in destruction."

"It is not for me to tell you," he denied. "If I did, your future could easily change to one far worse than what I have showed you."

Naruto growled. "Then what was the point in showing me them?"

"To let you know that the decisions you make will affect all of mankind," the Eldest One lectured Naruto. "You are but one man, one child," he paused and watched as Naruto hung on every word that came out of his mouth. "But you are very powerful. Very influential. Only you can decide how you'll use it."

"I still don't understand,"

"I know, child," Naruto flinched when the man's left hand came up and rested on Naruto's head but was glad when nothing happened. "Someday you will come to understand but for now, just know that we're all counting on you, even if not all of us know it."

The Eldest One took a step back. "Farewell for now, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze," and with that, the man left and disappeared like dust in the wind. Naruto just stared at the area where the Eldest One once stood before shaking his head and wiping his tears from his face.

"Crazy old fool," Naruto mumbled as he turned his back on the Hokage's office and began to walk aimlessly. "Still, it was way too real to be a fake. Maybe he's right."

"Hey, you," Naruto stopped and looked to where the voice called out to him. He saw a man with long, white-hair walk up to him. The man froze when he got close to Naruto and mumbled some incoherent things under his breath.

"What do you want?" Naruto asked. He wasn't given time to react as the white-haired man knocked him out before he could even blink.

What a day.

* * *

**First thing I feel I must say...**

**The Eldest One is no OC... Well, technically, not a lot of people think he's real but believe me, he's no OC...**

**Well, chapter's short... and boring...**

**Sorry, had to be done...**

**Next chapter should be... different... but the same at the same time...**

**We'll see how that goes...**

**Uhm... Well...**

**See ya!**

**Next Chapter: A Meeting With Clouds...**

**********Good luck with whatever and if you got a problem with me or one of my stories, please feel free to: Deal with it, Get over it or Choke on it...**


	12. Trouble Afoot

**Yo!**

**Sup, people?**

**Another chapter up and ready for you guys...**

**One thing, I want everyone to know that everyone in here [Konoha 12] looks exactly how they look in Shippuden [unless i type otherwise]...**

**Sorry, i know it's probably a little late but you should at least know...**

**Oh, and another thing, i kinda slipped some info into the last chapter so now, Naruto's on probation!**

**Yay!**

**Well, not really...**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**Oh, and this is just the first part of the chapter.. An hour later or so, i'll post the second part...**

**Peace!**

**Chapter 11: Trouble Afoot...**

**I don't own anything...**

* * *

Hinata groaned as she felt consciousness come to her once more. She sat up, rubbing her head and keeping her eyes shut. The small amount of light already sneaking past her eyelids already stung, and she didn't need that to add on to the headache pounding against her skull.

"Are you all right, Lady Hinata?" Hinata heard Neji say. She assumed they weren't alone, since he never dared to expose their actual friendship in front of strangers.

Risking the pain, Hinata slowly opened her eyes to find silver eyes staring at her with concern. She smiled and then closed her eyes again.

"I'm fine," she answered before trying to sit up. Bad idea.

"Stay down, Lady Hinata. You still seem lightheaded," Neji advised, and Hinata hummed positively as she felt her head land on something soft.

"What happened?" Hinata asked, and she could have sworn she heard Neji stifle a chuckle. She blinked her left eye open and found him standing beside her with his back turned. She examined the room and noted that she was in the Jonin's lounge. She would sometimes find Neji resting here after a mission if he wasn't home or at the training grounds with his old teammates.

"You were bombarded with a lot of questions, and then you hyperventilated and fainted," he recounted as he stepped over to the cabinets and took out the items necessary to make tea. "Tea?" he asked.

Hinata responded with a 'yes' as her eyes scanned the room again. It was modest for a Jonin's lounge, with enough room for at least half of the total amount of Jonin in the village and enough space for them to sleep on the couches and beds scattered neatly around the room.

In one of the couches adjacent to her was a man she hadn't seen in years.

"Hiya," the man greeted, and Hinata blinked, blushed, and sat up all in the same second. She gave him a sheepish smile and bowed her head.

"Hello Jiraiya of the Sannin. I hope that your latest journey was a pleasant one," she said, and Jiraiya smiled.

"My, my. With every passing generation, the Lady Hyūga always surpasses the last in terms of beauty," Jiraiya complimented, and Hinata's blush deepened.

"Careful where you tread, Lord Jiraiya," Neji warned as he poured hot water on the teabag in the cup. "Her latest batch of suitors would not like that,"

If Hinata's blush got any darker, she'd probably make a tomato seem white by comparison.

"Oh?" Jiraiya asked, clearly intrigued with his eyebrow up. "So, you're quite popular with the men of this village, eh?"

"I-I don't think so," she said, her hands clasped together and her eyes staring at them. Jiraiya let out a bellow so loud that anyone within a mile could probably hear it. Hinata felt another faint spell coming on.

Hinata almost jumped out of her skin when she heard someone let out a surprised yell behind her. She turned her head to the bed nearest her to see Naruto sitting up and looking around. Their eyes locked before Naruto blushed and looked at the ceiling.

"N-Naruto?" a passing memory flashed in her head and her eyes narrowed a little. "That was mean,"

"I know, sorry," he mumbled as he tossed his legs over the edge of the bed and stood. His eyes passed over Neji before stopping on Jiraiya who blinked.

"You!" Naruto growled as he ran towards Jiraiya with his fist reared back. Jiraiya didn't even bat an eye as Naruto came up to him and sent his fist flying forward.

Naruto only had time to blink before Jiraiya had managed to get behind him with his monstrous arm holding on to Naruto's wrist. He pinned the arm behind Naruto's back and held it high.

Naruto groaned as pain traveled up his arm.

"Calm down," Jiraiya muttered under his breath. Naruto felt the Kyūbi's chakra start to pump through his chakra network and he let out a growl.

'_Mind your own business!'_ Naruto yelled, and after some time, he felt the tainted chakra recede. It seemed that some of his own anger dissipated with the chakra because Naruto felt the fog of anger that plagued his mind and reasoning disappear.

Before Jiraiya could do anything about it, Naruto managed to twist his body just enough to escape the hold the giant of a man had on him.

Jiraiya was surprised that Naruto was able to get out of the hold. Sure, it wasn't a complicated hold, but with their size and strength difference, it shouldn't have been that simple.

Naruto turned and slipped his hand out of Jiraiya's hand – somewhat roughly, he might add – before decking him with a punch in the face. More pain was sent shivering up his arm as his hand bounced off Jiraiya's face.

Jiraiya's eyes were wide and he took a step back as his hand shot up and held his cheek. He didn't reel back from the pain, as there was barely any; he was just surprised that a so-called genin managed to not only land a hit, but also made him feel it.

After composing himself, Jiraiya smiled down at Naruto, who was shaking his right hand. Apparently, that hurt him more than it hurt Jiraiya.

"What the hell are you made of?" Naruto asked and Jiraiya laughed. Hinata stood and was by Naruto's side.

"Are you okay?" Hinata asked, but received no answer. Naruto was too busy glaring at Jiraiya.

"You truly are your mother's kid," Jiraiya said. Naruto's glare became suspicious.

"How do you know her?" Naruto asked and, as if answering, his mother came in with a bag that smelled delicious. It immediately got Naruto's attention.

"I see you're up," Kushina said with a smile.

"I took care of him," Jiraiya told her, but was answered with a glare from the mother-son duo. Neji mumbled something under his breath as he handed Hinata her cup of tea. She said her thanks.

"You were the one who knocked me/him out!" the two Uzumakis said in unison. Jiraiya crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, well-"

"Ah, yes," Neji said as he sat on the couch where Hinata once lay. "I remember what happened when he brought him to Lord Hokage," he said, and Naruto blinked at him.

"What happened?"

_Neji was already picking Hinata up from the floor when he heard the doors burst open behind him. He turned his head to see Jiraiya running in with an unconscious Naruto in his arms._

"_I found him!" Jiraiya shouted, and Minato, Kushina, Hiashi, Kakashi, and Obito stared at Jiraiya with __a deadpanned expression. Jiraiya continued to smile obliviously. "I found Naruto!"_

"_Jiraiya-sensei, uh…"_

"_You idiot!" Kushina shouted as she punched Jiraiya in the face. He flew back and hit the doors he came from, with Naruto falling heading for the floor. Kushina caught him before he hit the floor. "We found him days ago!"_

_From his place, Jiraiya only groaned and held his head in his hands._

Naruto stared at Jiraiya with a sweat-drop. "And you're one of three Legendary Sannin?" Naruto asked skeptically, forgetting the delicious smelling bag, causing a vein to swell in Jiraiya's forehead.

"So, you already know who he is?" Kushina asked and Naruto nodded.

"I was told to avoid him and the other two," Naruto informed her. "Something about not being ready to fight him or some bull like that,"

"In Iwa?" Hinata asked what Kushina was thinking. Naruto nodded.

"I was raised to fight many of Konoha's infamous shinobi. It wasn't easy," Naruto said as he stared into space. He was scanning through his memories, reliving them in his head.

"Naruto…" Kushina placed a hand on his shoulder and he blinked at her. "What's wrong?"

Naruto forced a smile. "It's nothing," he lied. Kushina and Hinata shared a look. "Listen, I need some time alone to think some things over," he told them and began to walk out. He stopped before walking up to Kushina and hugging her. Kushina gasped in surprise but returned the hug. Naruto gave Hinata a small smile, his hands behind his back as he began to walk away.

"Hold on," Neji said as he put his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "You're under probation, remember?" he reminded and Naruto sighed.

Neji turned to give a look to the other three in the room. "I'll go with him. I'll see you later, Lady Hinata."

Hinata nodded. "Lady Kushina, Lord Jiraiya," he bowed to them and they bowed back.

The two teens left without another word. Kushina blinked and looked down at her hands.

"He took the bag!" Kushina cried, exaggerated tears streaming down her cheeks. "My ramen was in there..."

***.***

Naruto's mind wandered just as his physical body did. Neji followed him without a word of complaint, and Naruto was thankful for that. In fact, for only a few moments, Naruto forgot that Neji was following him. The only reason he remembered was because they bumped into a girl earlier who recognized Neji.

She was a brown-haired girl; very pretty, odd sense of style but she made it work.

Unlike most of the Konoha kunoichi Naruto had seen so far – besides Hinata and his mother – most of the them were either more or equally concerned about their looks as much as their training. The brown-haired girl seemed more concern with her training, if the dirt and sweat all over her had anything to say about it.

Currently, Naruto leaned against the guard rail of a bridge that hung over a river – he had devoured the two bowls of ramen before he even left the building where the Jonin's lounge was. He wasn't sure what brought him there; he just let his feet lead him there. Neji seemed to know the place; Naruto couldn't explain it, but he just sensed that Neji had been here before. It wasn't hard to believe since he lived in Konoha but still…

His father… The Fourth Hokage… The Yellow Flash… Minato Namikaze…

He didn't have all the pieces but with what he had – all that's been said, all the physical similarity, biological evidence, all he's ever been told between his first conscious memory and now – in a logical standpoint, it made sense. Logically, he was the son of the Yellow Flash and The Red Whirlpool – he spent some time getting to know his mother. She was really badass, in Naruto's opinion.

In a perfect world, he could find out who his father really was and when he found out, he'd have no reason to deny it. But he lived in an imperfect world; even worse, in a world full of expert assassins and shinobi whose sole purpose is to deceive and kill for their village.

Minato could be lying to him – even his own mother could be lying to him – just to keep him here long enough to use him for Konoha's benefit.

Still, Naruto felt that that wasn't the case. He wouldn't be able to find out exactly why but he just knew Minato wasn't lying to him. He didn't seem like that kind of man.

Regardless, Naruto just couldn't shake the hostility for the man off him. It would take time, and it wouldn't be easy, but Naruto knew that he had to get over this irrational resentment.

This Trial. It was a problem.

He didn't need Konoha, he didn't need their approval or love. He needed to go home; the sooner the better. But he wasn't going to go back alone.

His old life was hollow without a family or a real friend. He wasn't going to go back to that life; it wasn't his to live anymore. He had a mother and a friend now, a true friend who he believed he could trust above all others. Whether Minato was his real father or not was irrelevant; he didn't want him in his life and he'd be okay without him.

But he had to be patient, the time would come but it wasn't now. He'd take Hinata and Kushina to Iwa, and they'd start their new life together; as a loving family and good friends. Close friends perhaps; maybe even…

Naruto's azure eyes turned to Neji, who seemed to be lost in his own thoughts as well. He might be a problem in the near future, and Naruto wasn't sure if he could get out of a fight with him without taking some damage. And he wasn't the only obstacle.

Hinata's father looked pretty scary, even when he wasn't upset. Naruto had no illusions of standing up to such a man, who was probably at the same caliber as the Yellow Flash.

Naruto had to get stronger, faster, and cleverer if he wanted to take Kushina and Hinata with him.

Patience was the name of the game, and already, Naruto felt that he was at a serious disadvantage in the game. It was okay with him; he was used to being the underdog.

"You okay?" Naruto blinked and looked at Neji, who was giving him an odd look even though he managed to retain his stoic expression. Naruto looked down and saw that his hands were clenching the railing of the guard rail tightly. His knuckles were white as snow and Naruto wouldn't have been surprised if each knuckle had popped.

He released the rail of his vice grip and it creaked out a sigh. Naruto could see the small dent he left on the rail and he mentally scowled himself for the momentary slip up. His hands then tingled with the Kyūbi's chakra. Apparently, he hurt himself but he couldn't feel a thing.

"I'm fine," his tone betrayed his words.

"It is none of my business-"

"You're right," Naruto interrupted.

"But it seems to me that something is troubling you. If you'd like, I can help you. I can be very objective and logical," Neji told him, ignoring his earlier statement.

"I'm fine," Naruto repeated with a growl.

"Fair enough," Neji said as he continued to stare down at the running water. "I understand that I haven't given you a reason to trust me as a friend or even as an acquaintance. I doubt anyone has really earned your trust since your arrival here,"

He received no response of any kind from Naruto.

"Even worse, you're from Iwa. I heard everyone truly despises us 'tree-huggers'," Neji continued and Naruto raised an eyebrow at him. "We can't be trusted. Every one of us tries our hardest to destroy our enemies, especially Iwa-nin. All of us are corrupt and seldom to accept outsiders; from the oldest of war veterans to the youngest infant.

"Lady Hinata doesn't care for you," Neji said after seeing that his words didn't affect him in the least. That last comment, however, made Naruto face him with an impassive expression. Neji knew it was a cheap shot but he had to know what kind of person Naruto is.

"She feels sorry for you. She told me so the night you made her cry. She confessed to me that she once thought she was only helping you because she cared deeply for you, but the truth is that she feels sorry for you; that you are the most pathetic human being walking this Earth. If it wasn't for your ties with Lord Hokage and Lady Uzumaki, Lady Hinata would most likely never speak to you ever again,"

Neji had to give Naruto credit; he kept his poker face nice and emotionless. Still, he had seen his telltale signs already; his fists were twitching slightly and his ears grew a shade redder.

"How does it feel to struggle against the hands of Destiny, only to inevitably fall victim to its power?" Neji asked, and he could see that his words were close to making him snap. "No one is above the decree of Destiny, not me, not Lord Hokage and especially not you,"

Neji took a step forward and stared down at Naruto, who was only two inches shorter than him. "Accept it and go home, lowly Iwa-orphan."

That did it.

Neji almost didn't see it coming, but he managed to jump away just as a claw made entirely of red chakra appeared from Naruto's back and came down to slice him.

_'That's new,' _Neji thought as he saw that Naruto's pupils take on a slit-shape and his chakra arm recede to his back. Naruto growled as he bent down a bit and then sprinted down the gap between them. Neji fell into his stance and began spinning, his chakra spilling out of his pores.

A dome of chakra enveloped Neji, and Naruto crashed face-first into the dome. He tried to break through, but the chakra remained strong, and even began to make Naruto's face sting. Eventually, he was sent back and slid to a stop a few meters away from the spinning dome which stopped, and Neji reappeared again.

Without the need of hand signs, a clone appeared over Naruto, and the original Naruto threw his hands up. The clone held on and with all his strength, Naruto chucked the clone at Neji. Neji was unfamiliar with such tactics, so he was momentarily surprised.

It was long enough for the clone to fly between the gap and drive his right shoulder deep into Neji's stomach. With a gasp, all of his air escaped, and Neji was sent hurtling into the river. The clone dispersed before they both hit the water.

Naruto ran over to the river and stared down at it, searching for Neji. He knew he couldn't kill him, but no one was going to stop Naruto from making Neji regret opening his mouth.

Neji sprang up from the river a few feet to the left, catching Naruto by surprise. Neji spun vertically before his right leg swung down and hit Naruto on his head. Naruto's head ricocheted down and when he looked back up, he saw Neji's right palm being thrust forward. Invisible, chakra-compressed air shot forward and hit his sternum.

Naruto took a step back just as another bullet of air came flying off of Neji's left palm. Still in the air, Neji positioned both palms back before they shot forward, forcing a greater and stronger bullet of compressed air to hit Naruto in the chest. This time, the force was so great that it sent Naruto straight into the ground and rolling away.

Neji landed on his feet and fell back into his stance as Naruto used the momentum to roll to his feet. Neji only offered him a smirk. Naruto responded with a growl.

Dashing down the gap, Naruto appeared in front of Neji and sent an uppercut to Neji's chin, which connected. He was up in the air until two of Naruto's clones grabbed Neji's sides and slammed him into the ground. Neji felt air leave his lungs once more, but it was worse when the original Naruto landed on his chest.

He back-flipped away and landed on the river just as Neji kicked his feet up and jumped to his feet, a bit ungracefully, Naruto might add. Neji panted as he tried to catch his second wind and stared at Naruto. He smirked again and began to run off.

Naruto growled as he followed after Neji, somehow never managing to actually reach him. Finally, after following him through the barrage of trees and rocks, Neji stopped near a clearing that was surrounded by trees, three tall stumps that were probably used for taijutsu training, and a river at the other end of the clearing.

Without stopping, Naruto ran up to Neji and threw his right fist forward. Neji anticipated it, and dodged to the left and bent forward as Naruto's right flank was open. With a little extra chakra, he lifted his right leg up and kicked Naruto's stomach. He flew into the air, ten feet to be exact.

Neji spun and stood under him, looking up. Naruto saw a devilish smirk appear on Neji's face as he thrust his right palm up. Another bullet of air shot up and hit Naruto's stomach again, sending him higher. With his left palm, Neji sent another bullet to Naruto's chest, making him go higher. Another hit Naruto in the face, making him spin in midair and a last, dual palm sent him sky-rocketing into the air and landing in the river.

Neji spun his arms around and let them rest in front of him in a manner similar to pushing something down and he let out a sigh.

It wasn't a second later when an army of Naruto clones jumped out of the river and landed on the grass. Wet from the river but burning with agitation, the army rushed forward, determined to beat Neji into the ground.

Neji prepared himself as three clones flung themselves at him. He managed to dodge each of them and they landed with a roll and faced him. More clones flung themselves, but Neji still moved forward, dodging or parrying the clones off.

Neji then noticed that he was in the middle of the army; it had been a set up. Naruto knew his clones wouldn't have been able to catch him, so he made him believe that that was their objective when all along, they just wanted to get behind him.

Neji turned to be greeted by the sight of all the Naruto clones he evaded – ten total clones – taking in a breath. Neji could feel the clones summoning an enormous amount of chakra, and even from a distance, the power behind it made the hairs behind Neji's neck stand on end. He rushed to stop them before it was too late but stopped just as a clone zipped by.

He looked to his left and saw clones tossing clone after clone at him. They were faster than before but Neji managed to keep up, until one clone caught the end of his left sleeve and brought him down. Neji slammed his palm on the clone and its existence ended. Neji jumped to his feet, hopefully before the clones could take advantage of his time on the ground.

Another clone appeared behind him and kicked Neji's left flank. Neji groaned, but other than that, he showed no emotion, even as he grabbed onto the clone's right leg and began spinning. He released the clone at his spin's peak and it crashed into other clones.

Spotting more clones heading towards him from above, Neji began to spin again, this time, letting his chakra escape his pores. The five or so clones hit the dome of chakra and then disappeared in a cloud of smoke. When Neji stopped, he sensed movement under him. It was faint, and for a second, Neji pushed it aside as trivial, and then he realized that he should have moved when he first sensed it.

Naruto jumped out of the ground and slammed both his fists into Neji's sternum. Neji's eyes sprang open and he was sent flying back. He landed and slid to a agonizing stop before smoke enveloped it, revealing a Naruto clone.

The Naruto who popped out of the ground wasn't given a chance to yell at the fallen clone as Neji appeared behind him and sent a harsh kick to his lower back. Naruto felt something in his lower back snap before he was wiped from existence.

Neji caught the arm of a clone that tried to punch his head and tossed him in the air. However, the clone somehow managed to hold on to Neji's wrist with both hands. The momentum given to him by Neji's toss ran out and he began to fall. The clone placed his feet on Neji's stomach with his knees bent as he fell and when his back hit the ground, Naruto pulled down at Neji's arm and kicked his feet up.

Neji was sent into the air, but wasn't concerned, even as he saw the clones off in the side blowing out their breaths, summoning up fire. It merged together and a giant dragon roared to life and flew towards Neji.

Before being consumed by the dragon, Neji spun and wrapped an entire dome of chakra around him, made to protect him from the fire. "**Rotation!**" he shouted as the dragon swallowed him whole.

However, Neji felt the heat that was trapped deep in the dragon's belly. He sweated as he continued to spin. It was a lot of effort, but he managed to keep his technique going until the dragon disappeared. He stopped and panted as he watched the remaining hundred of clones look at him with cold, calculating blue eyes.

Then, they simply turned to smoke and all that was left was one Naruto.

"Finally going to take me seriously?" Neji asked and Naruto only raised an eyebrow. Neji was impressed by Naruto; he was only a genin and yet he knew high-level jutsu, had incredible stamina – both physical and chakra-wise – and had an analytical mind. He was truly his mother and father's kid.

Naruto rolled out a scroll and Neji could only guess what he was going to do with it. There was writing that Neji knew was used to store things and waited on pins and needles as Naruto spilled his blood over the center of the scroll.

Out popped a ninjato with a clean white blade and a black hilt with a worn dirty orange ribbon tied to pommel. There were some red-brown stains on the orange ribbon that Neji registered as dried blood.

Without a mutter of a word or change of expression, Naruto rushed down the opening between him and Neji and swung his ninjato down. Neji only had enough time to jump back as the blade harmlessly passed over his left forearm. Or so Neji thought.

Blood sprayed in the air and Neji felt his left arm beginning to sting. He looked down at his wound and saw that it was not a superficial cut but he wouldn't die from it either. Neji only had to give the ninjato another look over before he noticed an anomaly.

"Wind chakra…" Neji noted with a sort of interest. "Fire and Wind? You have two affinities and you know how to use them that well? I can see why your father agreed to let you enter the Exams."

Naruto only grunted as he spun the ninjato in his palm before pumping more of his wind chakra into the blade. The chakra became more visible, and Neji sent chakra to his hands as he watched Naruto race to him.

Naruto swung horizontally, but Neji parried it with his chakra-powered palms. It bounced off his palm as if it hit a tilted metallic object. Naruto, undeterred by Neji's technique, continued to attack him, swinging his ninjato over and over again, from different angles. Neji kept up with him and parried off all of his attacks without a scratch.

He was momentarily caught off guard when Naruto spun and unexpectedly drove his right foot into Neji's stomach. Neji doubled over and held his stomach. He froze all movements when he felt cold steel press against the back of his neck.

"When will you start taking me seriously?" Naruto's tone was cold and impassive, something that reminded Neji of Minato's own tone whenever he heard him speak with Fugaku. It was dangerous to take Naruto lightly, Neji saw that now.

Naruto felt a pulse of chakra radiate from Neji and he pulled his right arm up a little before swinging down his ninjato. Neji lifted his legs from the ground, momentarily being parallel to the ground, before spinning with his chakra surrounding him.

Naruto was pushed back by his chakra and rotated to recover his footing. Neji landed gracefully before dashing up to Naruto, who by now was prepared for Neji's rush.

Neji thrust his palm forward, intending to hit Naruto's chest, but Naruto jumped to the left. Neji followed it up with a left palm, but Naruto somehow bent backwards, back enough to avoid Neji's attack. Naruto spun on his feet as Neji tried to poke Naruto's shoulder with his right index and middle finger.

Eventually, all of Neji's attack changed from palms to index and middle finger only. Naruto noticed the veins popping around Neji's eyes and the defined pupil in the center of the usually plain silver eyes. It was the telltale sign of the Hyūga's famous bloodline technique; the Byakugan.

Neji continued his assault as Naruto either dodged the attacks or blocked it with his ninjato, careful not to let his skin come in contact with Neji's.

He had heard stories of a prodigy within the Hyūga clan who was rising through the ranks and adding more honors and pride to the already prestigious clan. He was a genius who was skillful in the art of the Gentle Fist, even among the adults with years of experience. Said Hyūga was also very young, still a child, the rumors mentioned.

Naruto had no doubt that he was facing the prodigy of the Hyūga clan; the genius of the Gentle Fist.

Neji moved his body too far forward and Naruto took the opening. He sent his left fist under Neji's extended arm and drove it into his sternum. Neji coughed up some spit but Naruto's instincts demanded that he move away from the genius.

Neji's left hand shot out and grabbed hold of Naruto's left wrist. Immediately, Neji's right hand sprang into action and began to close the chakra points in his entire left arm. Naruto managed to salvage everything above his left elbow by swing his ninjato at Neji's neck.

Neji pulled out and back-flipped away. Naruto's left hand didn't respond to any of the commands sent to it by his brain, and he let out a curse.

"**You're in my field of divinity."** Those six words muttered by the Hyūga sent a chill down Naruto's spine. He knew what was to come next. **"****Eight Trigrams Sixty-four Palms."** Naruto didn't even blink, and already, twenty of his chakra points were closed. The first six strikes sent his body off the ground. The next eight had him spinning in midair.

On the sixteenth palm, he met Neji's gaze, and they exchanged a mutual look in their eyes. It was odd, and it happened relatively quickly; Naruto almost doubted that it happened, but he couldn't deny it.

By the time the last palm was hit, Naruto was rolling across the clearing; his body was feeling heavy and being uncooperative with his brain.

Naruto slowed down and stopped just before falling into the river. With some effort, Naruto turned his head and stared at Neji, who was walking towards him with a bit of labored breathing. He stopped just as he was over Naruto and gave his right hand a calculating gaze. His ninjato still remained in the grasp of his right hand even throughout the entire technique.

Neji gave his hand a kick and the ninjato slid off to the side, away from Naruto.

"Are you done?" Neji asked, trying to control his breathing. He might be a Jonin, but Naruto gave him as much trouble as his teammate, Lee, would have.

Naruto scanned Neji's eyes before staring at his ninjato. He was tempted to use the explosive tag hidden in his weapon, but instead, Naruto smirked and extended his right arm up, though with a lot more effort than normal. Neji smirked, deactivated his Byakugan and grabbed his arm to help him up. Without asking, Neji reopened his chakra points.

"When did you realize that I was only testing you?" Neji asked, and Naruto snorted as he dusted his red sleeveless muscle shirt and black shorts.

"After you kicked me in the gut and sent me into the air. That hurt, by the way," he answered while rubbing his stomach. Neji chuckled.

"It's not like you pulled any punches yourself," Neji retaliated, and Naruto grumbled something under his breath. He followed Neji out of the clearing; probably to go back to Hinata or his mother.

"Do… Do you really think it's possible?" Naruto asked hesitantly without preamble. It wasn't necessary. Throughout the entire fight, Naruto could sort of _feel_ a conversation going on between them every time their punches and kicks connected. It was pointless to pretend that it didn't happen or that he didn't feel it.

"It is the truth," Neji answered confidently. "I don't know Lady Uzumaki or Lord Hokage as intimately as Lady Hinata or Lord Hyūga, but I have been around when they spoke of their beautiful baby boy. They named him Naruto,"

"What happened to him? The baby, I mean," Naruto asked, and Neji gave him an indecipherable look.

"It's not for me to say. Besides, I'm not completely sure myself," Neji answered, and Naruto sighed. He remembered Minato telling him to talk to both him and his mother if he had any questions.

"So, when is this mission that I'm supposed to do?" Naruto asked.

"Lord Namikaze," Naruto and Neji stopped their walk, just as they reached the street, to turn and face the ANBU bowing down to them.

"I'm not a Namikaze," Naruto retorted a bit harshly. Neji elbowed him and Naruto growled at him. Neji showed no emotions. Bi-polar bastard…

"My apologies," the ANBU offered before standing. "Regardless, Lord Hokage wishes you attendance in his office," the ANBU reported before leaving without an answer from Naruto.

"I don't have I choice, do I?" Naruto asked Neji, and saw that he was giving him an odd smirk.

"Not unless you'd wish to resist. It's okay if you do, I do need more exercise," Neji said, and Naruto glared at him before walking forward. "The Hokage's office is in the other direction." Naruto stopped and mumbled some harsh words before turning around.

"I'm still new here, give me a break," Naruto said while Neji followed him.

"You were supposed to make a right back there," Neji said after they walked for about two hundred feet.

"Shut up!"

"Where are you going now?"

"I don't know!"

Neji sighed. This routine continued for about an hour before Naruto finally found the Hokage Tower.

"Congratulations, I am now a hundred years old," Neji said with a hint of humor. Naruto said nothing as he entered the tower and up to the Hokage's office. The secretary tried to stop him, but Naruto simply ignored her. He opened the door and walked in…

Only for his eyes to spring open, have a blush cover his whole face and neck and then fall backwards. His body hit the ground just as Neji came in and blushed as well; though somewhat less than Naruto and more controlled.

Neji bent down and put his hands under Naruto's arms and dragged him out. He silently closed the door and let out a sigh as a small trickle of blood trailed down his left nostril.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Ōnoki was not a happy man.

Deidara – a failure of a shinobi – returned without his prized tool. He was retold of the events and it made Ōnoki's blood boil. How dare that blond menace steal his only means of revenge right from under his hands?

It was all right though; Naruto would never join Konoha's side, even if it meant torture and even death.

Yes, everything will be okay; Konoha will still fall thanks to their own creation, their tool, and Ōnoki would be the mastermind behind it all. Still, Ōnoki wasn't a fool; he knew that there might be a small chance that the idiot tree-lovers would somehow get Naruto to join their side.

If that happened, Ōnoki would have to destroy Naruto before he became a problem.

Good thing his spies were constantly tailing him.

"Lord Tsuchikage," Ōnoki turned his eyes on the door as a soft voice called out to him and knocked. A second later, a very attractive and young black-haired woman came in. She wore the Typical Iwa uniform and Ōnoki couldn't help but stare at her… hair, yeah, that…

So supple and bouncy…

"Yes, my dear?" he asked and the woman bowed while handing him a neatly folded paper. He took it and the woman hurriedly left the room. Ōnoki found this odd, but then after thinking it over, he assumed it was because of his intimidating strength and good looks. His pride and ego blew out of proportions.

'_If I was twenty years younger, hee-hee…'_ He thought as he unfolded the note. He read it while mumbling loudly and by the time he finished, the paper disintegrated in his hands.

This was not a good thing.

"That pompous, spoiled brat!" Ōnoki barked as he reread the note in his heads. "They deny me my tool! Fine," Ōnoki stood – slowly though, since he didn't want to throw out his back – and walked to the door.

"AOI!" He shouted, and immediately, the black-haired woman stood in front of him, her head bowed. "I need Roshi in my office before nightfall, now!" he ordered and the woman squeaked and nodded before running back to her desk.

Ōnoki returned to his office and slammed the door shut. He faced his desk, giving it a glare before he let out a deep breath and sat back behind his desk.

He had to be calm; it wouldn't do to obliterate his desk and everything else in his office. He had to wait for Roshi, and then he'd explain everything to him and then they'd be off.

If the Yellow Flash wanted to talk, he'd give him a talk.

* * *

**Well, that's interesting.. I suppose...**

**Like i said, in a bout an hour, maybe or if i feel like it, i'll post the next chapter...**

**Maybe not, not sure...**

**One hell of a cliffhanger, i guess... Damn, i'm mean...**

**Hope you liked it...**

**Oh, anyone ever read 1984 by George Orwell?**

**Holy crap, i wanted to rip my hair out of my head throughout the entire book... In my opinion, it was-no _is_ boring, pointless and a below my intellectual level... Best seller? Blows my mind away but everyone's entitled to his or her opinion...**

**Gah!**

**Anyway, things are getting a little depressing, especially the next chapter.. Well, kinda... There's a bit of a surprise for all you Minato/Kushina lovers like me hahaha... Oh and for Kakashi and a certain special jonin...**

**Well, it's a bit of both i guess..**

**Till then!**

**Next Chapter: Better to Have Loved and Lost...**

******Good luck with whatever and if you got a problem with me or one of my stories, please feel free to: Deal with it, Get over it or Choke on it...**


	13. Better To Have Loved and Lost

**Yo, next chapter, coming at ya!**

**Semi-lemony goodness!**

**Chapter 12: ****Better to Have Loved and Lost...**

******I don't own anything...**

* * *

Naruto's upper body shot up and he looked around. He was sitting on one of the waiting chairs just outside the Hokage's office. Neji was beside him, his demeanor as stoic and stiff as ever.

"Ten minutes... Not bad..." Neji muttered.

"So… it was just… a dream?" Naruto mumbled to himself. From the corner of his eye, he saw Neji's head make a stiff movement, almost like he shook his head. He turned his eyes on the door and heard something shuffle inside the room.

"It… it wasn't-" Naruto trailed off when he saw Neji nod his head. "That's sick…"

Another ten minutes later, Kakashi popped his head out of the office and chuckled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.

"I forgot to lock the door," Kakashi said and Naruto and Neji sweat dropped. "And I forgot to tell you that Lord Hokage signed off early tonight; he should be home right now,"

"T-Thanks," Naruto stuttered out with a blush as a passing memory returned to him. Neji said nothing as they stood and began to walk out. Kakashi watched them leave before closing the door behind him and making sure to lock it this time.

"Kakashi!" Kakashi turned around at the call of his name and was greeted with the sight of a very seductive and gorgeous woman whose naked body was hidden under a very thick blanket as she lay on a couch in the corner of the room. Her purple eyes gave him a lusty stare and Kakashi was immediately at her side, his own onyx eyes twinkling with lust.

She handed him a book with an orange cover and opened it to a page that her index finger kept tabs on.

"This one," she whispered and Kakashi read the page at incredible speeds. His eyes widened and gave the woman a questioning gaze. She nodded mischievously and Kakashi smiled and ripped his mask off.

"Thank you, Anko!" he cheered happily as he removed the covers and began to enact the events told in his Icha Icha book.

***.***

Naruto and Neji said nothing as they walked up the street, nearing the Namikaze-Uzumaki home. The sun was only a few minutes away from disappearing behind the horizon but the air was still warm. Naruto kept giving Neji sideways glances before gulping.

"The answer is no," Neji said and Naruto blinked. Neji gave him a look that suggested that he wasn't stupid. "I can see you really want to ask me something and the answer is no,"

"… You don't even know the question!"

"Doesn't matter, the answer is still 'no',"

"I just want to know…"

"No,"

"Have you ever-"

"I said no!"

"Come on!" Naruto whined and Neji rolled his eyes.

"… Go ahead,"

"Have you ever seen another couple… do that?"

"No. See, I told you,"

"Have you ever seen anyone else naked before today?"

"…" Neji's left hand twitched slightly; Naruto didn't notice it.

"…"

"Well?"

"Hm?"

Naruto growled, unaware who was waiting for them outside of Minato's home. "Don't pretend you didn't hear me! Have you ever seen anyone naked?"

Naruto heard someone squeak and he looked ahead to see Hinata blushing and staring at him with some embarrassment. Neji smirked.

"Lady Hinata, how are you feeling?" he asked.

"…" Hinata was still staring at Naruto. Naruto, for his part, managed to subdue the blush threatening to appear on his cheeks. Still, his ears were as red as blood.

"Why…" Hinata started but stopped. Neji almost let out a chuckle but managed to suppress it.

"Haven't you noticed before, Lady Hinata?" he asked and both genin looked at him. "Naruto here is a pervert, which would explain why he would ask me such a question."

Naruto tried to fight it but a blush crept up to his face and he glared at Neji. Hinata stared at him with an unreadable expression and Naruto wanted to beat Neji into the ground again.

"I'm no pervert!" Naruto declared and pointed a finger at Neji. "He knows why I asked that question, he was there when-"

"I assure you, Naruto, that I didn't see a thing. I entered the room to find you unconscious; I paid no mind to nothing else. Even if I had, my eyes were on you when I entered and after I left," Neji said honestly and Naruto gaped at him.

"Wha-You, behind me! And then the sounds, she was over him and…" Naruto stopped and saw that Hinata was close to passing out. "No! We weren't…!"

"Come on, Lady Hinata; let's give Naruto some time to let his perverted mood pass him." Neji said and escorted Hinata into the house. Neji glanced back at Naruto and smirked.

Naruto stood outside, alone and shocked at what just happened. He composed himself and walked into the house, promising himself that he would get Neji back for this. Ten fold…

He opened the door just as Hinata tried to open it and they both stared at each other, one embarrassed and the other speechless.

"Uh…" Naruto said and Hinata's blush deepened before she tried to smile. "Can we… pretend this didn't happen?" Naruto asked and Hinata nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry, I have to go home. I'll see you tomorrow though."

"Goodnight," Naruto said and kissed Hinata's cheek. She lost her footing and almost fell but she caught herself before she hit the ground and giggled sheepishly before walking off. Naruto turned to watch her leave before feeling a hand fall on his left shoulder. He knew who it belonged to.

"Be careful who you mess with," Neji said as he began to walk as well. Neji was a trained shinobi, a Jōnin, and a formidable opponent.

Naruto didn't see any of that; all he saw was a human-sized bull's-eye walking behind Hinata.

"Naruto," at the sound of his name, Naruto entered the house and saw Minato and Kushina sitting beside each other, holding hands and overall showing affections for each other. This was new for Naruto; he had never seen any two people show as much affection as this.

And all they were doing was holding hands. Kushina also had her head resting on his shoulder but it only added to the display. More than that, Naruto could feel the love radiating from them just as much as he could feel heat coming from the sun.

It made him question his resentment against Minato for a second before he shook his head and sat down on the love seat beside the larger couch.

Though reluctantly, Kushina raised her head off Minato's shoulder and tore her hands from his.

"I hope you enjoyed yourself today?" Minato asked and Naruto nodded solemnly.

"… I'd like to ask you something. The both of you," Naruto said. Minato and Kushina blinked, surprised but nodded nonetheless.

"What is it?" Kushina asked with a comforting smile.

"… What happened to… your son?" Naruto asked and Kushina raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" Minato asked, clearly confused.

"Why do you two say that I'm your son? What happened to him to make you think that I'm him?" Minato and Kushina shared a look, communicating without words. A whole argument had passed them in seconds, Naruto could tell by the looks on their faces.

Finally, the two faced him and began telling him. They started in the beginning; when one of the Legendary Sannin told them that they should be expecting a child. They were so happy to hear that and Naruto felt a pang hit his heart.

They continued on about how they prepared for their unborn child and how it was to be kept a secret so they could make sure that no one tried to disrupt the ritual/birth.

"What ritual?" Naruto asked.

"There is only one time in a jinchūriki's life when the seal is weakened," Kushina said. "And it's during childbirth,"

"So, this really only applies to female jinchūriki?" Naruto asked.

"Ever heard of a man giving birth?" she asked with amusement. Naruto and Minato said nothing.

"Anyway," Minato finally said, "Let's continue,"

He went on to tell him of a masked man appearing and causing the whole ritual to go downhill. He had almost succeeded in killing Naruto, Minato and Kushina.

He did release the Kyūbi and it almost destroyed Konoha. If it wasn't for the help of the Third Hokage, Minato assured both his wife and son that he'd most likely be dead.

Minato told Naruto of his fight with the masked villain and how he had systematically beat him in terms of speed and strength.

"Who is the masked man?" Naruto asked.

"Madara Uchiha," he answered, perfectly serious and angrily.

"Isn't he from the same generation as the First Hokage? How is he still alive?" Naruto asked somewhat doubtfully.

"I'm not sure but I'm sure that that's who I fought that night,"

"When he took us home, we rested for a while before I got up to make ramen," Naruto had to chuckle at this. "Minato joined me and for a while, all was peaceful. All the chaos had settled down and we could rest without having to worry about anything planning on destroying the village," Kushina told him with a sad smile.

"Or so we thought," Minato added and told of the entire 'murder' of their son.

Naruto took in everything he was told and spent time silently thinking to himself. He felt a soft hand rest on his head and he tilted his head back a bit to see Minato smiling down at him.

"You might want to rest up. I'll have decided on your mission by tomorrow," he said before walking into the hallway and up the stairs. Kushina looked at Naruto, watching his expression and feeling relieved when he didn't glare or snarl at Minato. He didn't exactly smile at him but it was better than anger.

"Goodnight, Naruto," Kushina said quietly as she got up and kissed his forehead before following her husband's actions.

Kushina entered her room, closed the door and started searching through the drawers near the door. She heard Minato exit the bathroom and jump on their bed. She smiled as she turned and tossed a bright red night gown on the bed. By now, Minato was only wearing his black sweatpants and had his eyes closed.

"I love you," Kushina said softly and a smile graced Minato's lips.

Rolling her long beautiful red hair into a bun, Kushina striped her shirt off and her pants were discarded soon after. Minato stood and walked over to her and hugged her, never opening his eyes.

He felt her smooth, creamy skin under his rough hands. Jolts of electricity sparked at the end of every nerve where their skin came in contact.

Minato opened his eyes and the first thing he saw were those beautiful violet orbs Kushina called eyes. He stared lovingly into them and saw happiness and love flash in them.

"I love you too," Minato said quietly as his arms slid over her waist and pulled her closer to him. He kissed her softly, and suddenly, words that always escaped Minato when he tried to explain how much he loved Kushina came and fueled the kiss.

They parted and he saw Kushina panting, searching for air to fill her lungs with. He saw her chest moving animatedly as she took in deep breaths and he couldn't help but remember all those long nights spent together, feeling each other's body intimately and expressing their love for each other with actions and loving touches.

She smiled deviously as she put her hands over Minato's callous ones and moved them to her back, right over her bra. No words were needed to be spoken as Minato immediately unclasped them and helped her out of her bra.

The undergarment fell to the ground and Minato stared at Kushina's round and firm rosy-tipped breasts with primal desire and love.

His lips met hers once more and her breasts were pressed against his chiseled chest. He could feel her heart beat against her chest and she could feel his.

With all the swiftness he possessed, Minato spun with Kushina in his arms, and they found themselves on the bed with Minato over her.

The action surprised Kushina, but it didn't displease her. She wrapped her long silky legs around his waist and engaged in another breathtaking kiss.

Minato's mouth then began to travel down her jaw to her neck, where he began to suck on her smooth neck. She let out a moan that burned a deep desire in the pit of his stomach. It brought him joy and pride as a man and as a husband to know that he could make his wife make those kinds of sounds.

Kushina squirmed and shifted her waist as Minato continued his assault on her neck, occasionally eliciting a sort of growl-sounding groan from him. She continued to mewl and even let out an unconscious squeak when Minato's hands roamed over her sides and back.

Suddenly, the mood was destroyed when the front door burst open and then footsteps were heard leaving the house. A yell was heard outside and Minato knew who it was, though it did come to a surprise to him.

"Who?" Kushina asked breathlessly.

"Jiraiya," Minato said as he stood and looked out the window. He saw that it was in fact Jiraiya; he wasn't even surprised that Naruto was involved. What did surprise, even shock him, was the fact that Jiraiya was laying on the ground, his enormous right hand on his jaw and Naruto holding the top of his head as he sat on the ground.

Minato shot down the stairs and out the house to see that he wasn't crazy.

"What is wrong with you?" Jiraiya shouted angrily and in pain.

"That's for knocking me out!" Naruto shouted back, though not as loudly but just as angry.

"I see," Both of them blinked and looked at the door to see Minato standing there with his arms crossed over his chest and a observant expression on his face. Naruto rubbed the top of his head once more before standing up.

"I'm going to bed," Naruto mumbled but a hand shot out and blocked his path from entering the home. "What's the big idea?"

"Jiraiya-sensei, I'm guessing you're here to crash for the night?" Minato asked, momentarily ignoring Naruto's question.

"You got it, kid!" Jiraiya said, though a bit numbly as he still held his jaw. He got up and shifted his jaw around before releasing his hold on it. Minato turned his head to face Naruto.

"The guess room is usually reserved for Jiraiya-sensei," Minato told him and Naruto glared at him.

"So what? I'm getting kicked out to give this drunken geezer a place to sleep?" Naruto asked furiously and Minato shook his head.

"You can sleep in the other room?" Minato said and walked into his home and into the hallway. Naruto glared at his retreating form before turning his glare to Jiraiya who walked by and put a heavy hand over Naruto's head.

"You sure are something," he mumbled before passing him by. Naruto snorted before walking in as well and closing the door behind him. He followed behind Jiraiya before he turned into the guest bedroom and slammed it shut.

Minato was waiting for Naruto up the steps and then turned to walk into the room in between the bathroom and his room.

Naruto followed Minato into the room and saw that it was the only room in the entire house that was painted with a different color. The entire house was a sort of eggshell white with the hallways colored in a dark shade of grey.

This room was a light shade of blue.

It was odd, possibly phenomenally strange, but Naruto felt a sort of connection to this room. He couldn't explain it much more than that. This room was giving off an odd vibe. It radiated grief and love, sadness and happiness.

A second later, it just felt like another room; four walls, a ceiling, a floor, two windows and two doors. The feeling came and went so fast that he began to doubt that it even happened.

There was a bed off on the side, just under the window. It had no frame; only one mattress over another. There wasn't anything else in the room besides a small, childish drawer with small cartoon stickers pressed on the sides and drawers and a small mirror on top.

"Nice room," Naruto noted sourly. Minato gave him a water-downed annoyed look. Whatever annoyed him earlier, he was somewhat over it now… sort of…

"It was a…" Minato stopped himself and walked out of the room. He paused after crossing the threshold. "Don't look in the closet."

Naruto shifted his gaze to the closet door before raising an eyebrow. He lay down on the bed with his back to the closet and Minato. "I'm not interested."

Minato didn't face Naruto, he didn't look to see if his body language said otherwise; he was too tired to care and he just wanted to be with his wife.

He entered the room and saw that Kushina was already in bed. He slipped under the covers and saw Kushina was looking at the ceiling; dry tear trails on her cheeks. Her violet eyes were depressed but her facial expression showed a more pensive look.

"All I wanted was a family," she said, barely above a whisper. Minato understood half of what she said; he read her lips to figure out the other half.

"You do have a family," Minato assured her with a fatigued smile. "All three of us are together again."

She smiled. Her smile was bittersweet, he noticed. "We're not acting like it,"

Minato reached out and hugged her. The woman in his arms was always so confident, so strong, and so fearless.

No, not fearless. She was too smart to fear nothing. Of course she had her fears; she was only human. She was courageous, though, and it was that courage, that confidence and strength that helped her keep on hoping for Naruto's return and to never give up on her son.

Minato wasn't as strong; many times, doubt clouded his heart and blinded him, influenced him to give up. It told him – on multiple occasions – that his first son was no more alive than the dirt he stepped on; that he was stripped from his hands by the cruel hands of Fate and Death.

Kushina knew better though; she acted as his lighthouse, showed him the way home and helped renew Minato's hope and his courage to stand up against the odds.

She was his light; his North star that kept him from getting lost. Now it was his turn to be strong for her; strong and confident.

"We will, my love," Minato reassured as he rubbed her shoulder with his hand. "One day, we will be that family you always dreamt of. You won't ever have to go through that loneliness ever again. I promise,"

He kissed her on the lips and she kissed him back after some hesitation. After a couple minutes of that, Kushina moved so that she was sitting on top of Minato, straddling his waist.

Minato saw the silver haze of the moon coming from the gap left from the curtains on the window. He saw Kushina outlined by the moon, all sweetly feminine curves and lines, a beautiful shadow. She kissed him again, and he returned it in kind, and it was a liquid, smooth thing, as restrained and desperate as the near-still surface of a rushing river.

It went on like that, all skin and light touches, soft sighs, pounding hearts. They moved together, feeling the power of their need, their hunger for one another, a pure blend of desire and warmth and affection and incredible intimacy that shook them to the core.

It ended in silence, the sensation all the more piercing for that, their mouths together, their breaths mingling.

She lay down beside him until their pounding hearts slowed down. Then she rose, and said, "I have something to tell you."

"What is it?" Minato asked and saw a sort of happiness gleaming in them. One he's only seen twice; once when Naruto was born and the day she saw him for the first time in years.

She leaned down to his ear and her lips touched his ear. She whispered so slowly and quietly that even from that distance, Minato almost missed it. But he hadn't and his eyes became as wide as saucers.

"You… Y-You're kidding?" he mumbled incoherently and saw Kushina shake her head, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. He fell to his back and stared at the ceiling. "Wow,"

"I know," she agreed as she let her head rest on his still warm chest.

"Another one?" she nodded her head again. "That's great. Does anyone else know?"

"Besides the doctor, only you and I know," she answered and Minato chuckled. He was speechless; it was incredible news. "Can we keep it a secret?" she asked and Minato looked at her as if she had asked for air to breathe.

"Of course, my love. But how come?" he asked.

"I don't want to take any attention away from Naruto. This might do that," Minato nodded in understanding and kissed her forehead.

"I understand," he said and they nuzzled closer and relished in being so close until Kushina became to sleep. Minato just watched her, enjoying the movements his wife's chest made. He had an irrational fear of waking up to Kushina sleeping in his arms but her chest didn't rise or fall; that she had ceased to breath during the night.

After a couple of minutes of this, he started to lose his hold on consciousness and he too succumbed to the soft lullaby of sweet, sweet sleep.

***.***

Naruto had done it! He had successfully kept himself from looking into the closet.

He hadn't lied to Minato when he said he wasn't interested but eventually, his curious nature started getting the better of him.

So, he did the only logical thing to do; jump out of the second-story window and run off. It'd be ok, though, he wouldn't get lost again. He made sure to keep a shadow clone hiding near the house to escort him back just in case he forgot.

Walking aimlessly was something he loved doing; it helped him get acquainted with his environment and learn new things and places and paths from time to time.

He wasn't surprised when he found that his feet had taken him back to the bridge. He walked over the bridge, silent and cautious. He didn't want any animal coming at him because he disturbed them while they rest. His eyes travelled to the flowing river and smiled as he saw the moon's image reflected over it.

Naruto blinked when he saw a pale green light shine on the side of the bridge. He moved over to the side and looked over the railing. The green light barely showed him anything but he did see a silhouette sitting on the side of the bridge, just near the edge of the river.

The green light came from the silhouette's petite hands, which was hovering over a fish that was slowly dying and its feeble attempt to go back into the river became more sluggish by the passing second.

Once in a while, the fish jumped, showing signs of a struggle, but eventually, like any fish out of water, it died.

The silhouette let out an angry squeak and slammed his or her fists on the ground. Naruto raised his right hand and summoned the Kyūbi's chakra to the palm of his hand. With a little more concentration, he ignited the chakra and it transformed into a decent-sized fireball, big enough to bring to light everything within ten feet of the fireball.

"Cute trick," Naruto stated with humor.

The silhouette looked up in shock and azure eyes connected to deep jade ones. Naruto saw that the silhouette was actually just a girl with big, round green eyes and long pink hair. She had a red sleeveless shirt that seemed a size too big for her and a dirt green skirt. A bandana was tied tightly around the girl's forehead. The thing that caught Naruto's attention was her tear-stained cheeks.

"What exactly was that technique you were using?" Naruto asked, trying to ignore the tears. This was a girl from Konoha; he couldn't let his chivalrous side take over now. He had to be careful.

The bubblegum-haired girl jumped to her feet and began to sprint away.

"H-Hey!" Naruto shouted out to her but she was already gone. Damn, she was pretty quick.

Naruto looked down at the fish. He sighed and jumped down, his left hand still carrying the fireball. He landed beside the fish and saw the gills on his side opening and closing once in a while. Naruto gently shoved the fish into the water and watched as life began to creep into the fish once more.

He turned his gaze back to the direction he saw the pink-haired girl run off to and shook his head as he closed his fist, extinguishing the fireball.

"Weirdo…"

**[*.*.*.*]**

Smoke came out through both nostrils as a hand slammed the end of the cigarette on the astray.

"Sick pieces of cancer," Obito mumbled as he blew the rest of the smoke in his lungs out of his mouth. His left hand clung to the scarf wrapped delicately around his neck. The fabric felt soft under his touch; maybe it was made of cotton?

It didn't matter, not to Obito. It could've been made of barbwire and salt for all he cared; it'd still be priceless to him and he'd never take it off.

He could still hear her voice, the sweet, emotional sound of her talking to him.

"_I made you something,"_ _she had said shyly and Obito blinked as he stared at her with his left eye. He was leaning against a tree as he slept on its branch. He yawned and jumped down, landing beside her. She was blushing as her right hand hid something behind her back and her left hand brushed a brown stray hair out of her face._

'_She looks so cute!' Obito thought as he summoned up the smile he only reserved for her._

"_What's up?" he asked cheerfully and the girl blushed. She wordlessly handed him a light green box with a blue ribbon tied to keep it from being opened easily. Obito blinked and reached out for it. His hand gently brushed hers as he took it from her grasp. He blushed but that didn't stop him from looking straight into her eyes._

_He looked at it, examining closely before sniffing it. The girl sweat-dropped, more so after he began to shake it, still, she giggled nonetheless._

"_What is it?"_

_She giggled. "Just open it, dummy," he did. Obito found a beautifully stitched red scarf with the Uchiha symbol at both ends. After examining it closer, she blushed and coughed into her hand._

"_It must have cost you a fortune," She shook her head._

"_The materials were a bit pricy but," she said but trailed off._

"_You made this yourself?" She blushed and looked away with a nod of her head. Obito stared at the piece of cloth in his hands before smiling._

_She heard the sound of cloth rustling and she looked up to see Obito wearing the scarf with his usual goofy smile. She returned the smile in kind. Obito grabbed her right arm and tugged on it softly. She moved forward a bit and was surprised when she fell into Obito's arms._

"_I love it," he said fondly as he snuggled it against his cheek and she giggled._

"_Is it that great?" _

"_Phenomenally soft!" he declared, eliciting another fit of giggles. "Thanks,"_

"_You're welcome, Obito," she said and they stood there, holding on to each other before they heard a cough come from the left. The two blushed and saw Kakashi staring at them, his eyes comparable to a sly cat's and a smile under his mask._

"_Am I interrupting something?" he asked and the two split immediately. "Obito?" he asked him first but he just scowled and looked away. "Rin?" she just looked in the opposite direction as Obito._

"_Not at all," she said and Kakashi nodded, but he knew better._

"_Ok, well, let's get going. You know how sensei gets when we're late for a mission."_

_Obito laughed sourly. "Says the only person in the world who has a worse sense of time than I do," he said with a smirk and Kakashi blinked and stared at him with a distant look._

"_Hm? Did you say something Obito?" Obito growled and ran towards Kakashi. He swung his fist at him but Kakashi ducked and jumped away from Obito's follow-up kick._

"_Close," he teased before walking off. Instead of running after him, Obito just let out a snort and turned to Rin._

"_You coming?" he asked, a bit more calmly than before. She nodded and Obito waited until she was beside him to start walking. They looked at each other before blushing and looking forward, occasionally stealing glances of each other._

Obito gritted his teeth as he fought against his tears. He clutched the scarf tightly in his fist before it relaxed and reached out for a cigarette.

The box was empty.

He seized the empty box and crushed it with little effort. He tossed it carelessly out the window before sucking a quick breath and spitting out a small fireball to incinerate the box.

Obito watched impassively as the box turned to ashes and sprinkled all over his lawn. The wind blew the ashes off the floor and through the air.

"Smoking can kill ya," Obito looked up and saw Kakashi smiling at him from under his mask as he stood on the branch of a neighboring tree.

Obito scoffed. "No kidding," he agreed before taking in Kakashi's appearance. "It's late and you look like you just tried to fight your way out your clothes… or into them?"

Kakashi blushed but it was hidden by his mask. He played it off with a wave of his hand and jumped forward. Obito moved back just as Kakashi flew through the window and landed on the floor without a hair out of place.

"I didn't necessarily start the fight," he stated. He examined the living room to the apartment he shared with Obito and found that it was clean. "You've been thinking about her again, haven't you?"

"Couldn't help it," Obito suggested as he moved to sit on the couch. He was stopped by Kakashi's hand clasping on his right shoulder.

"It's starting to get worse," Kakashi said without preamble but he didn't need to remind Obito what he was talking about; it was already obvious.

"Let's not start this again," Obito mumbled as he shifted his shoulder to free himself of Kakashi's grasp. Kakashi only grabbed his shoulder again and made him spin to face him.

"This has gone far enough, Obito. I know you miss her, I miss her too but you're going too far," Obito looked away, shame coloring his face. Kakashi walked into the kitchen and dug into the trash before coming back to the living room.

He raised his right hand and three empty cartons of cigarettes could be seen. "Smoking? I know it's not illegal but I remember a time when you would've beat my ass if you'd seen me even touching this stuff,"

Obito swiped the cartons from Kakashi's hand, tossing them haphazardly into the kitchen. "And I still will, dammit!"

"Everyone's moved on," Kakashi threw his hands up in exasperation. "Why can't you?"

"Because I love her!" he shouted and Kakashi could see Obito's anger boiling behind his eyes.

"I loved her too!" Kakashi declared but Obito smirked bitterly.

"Not the way I did," he retorted and pushed Kakashi back. "You always rejected her advances. You said no as if you were talking to a little girl,"

"We were only kids!"

"I'm not talking about then, I'm talking about the year before she died. She was seventeen then, she wasn't a kid anymore. She came up to you and asked you out, one last time. Do you remember your answer?"

"Obito," Kakashi began to say but Obito shook his head.

"No, listen, I'm not done. You said no, so when I came to help her through it, she surprised me by asking me out. Finally, after years of trying to get her attention, I _finally _got it! She gave me a chance and since then, I'd been happy from sun up to sun down," he said and Kakashi could see tears forming in his eyes. They'd tried to talk about this before but Kakashi was always too afraid to let it escalate this high before.

Now, he didn't have a choice.

"Do you remember her eighteenth birthday, about a year later? The whole party? Do you remember?"

"Someone brought alcohol," Kakashi answered monotonously. "Anko, Guy, Kurenai and I were all drunk as hell,"

"Yeah, do you want to know what happened after the party?" Obito didn't let him answer. "She led me to some secluded clearing just outside the village. We sat near the river and talked all night. It was so amazing just how much we talked. We talked about nothing and everything all at the same time."

"I see," Kakashi stated and Obito nodded.

"Then…" Obito paused, hesitating to tell Kakashi the rest. "Then she kissed me. We kissed for what felt like forever and then we parted. It felt different; something about the kiss just seemed different from all the others. She gave me this look and she told me something I never thought I'd hear her tell me in a million years.

"_I need you, Obito. I want you so badly and I need you to make me feel like a woman._ That's what she told me," he said and Kakashi's expression didn't change except for the miniscule widening of his eyes. Obito saw that Kakashi was surprised as hell.

"I tried to convince her out of it. I told her that we didn't need to rush into that sort of thing and that I could be patient. You know what she said? _I love you, Obito_," By now, his tears were flooding out of his eyes and he had to pause so he could catch his breath.

"We did it. That night, I made love to the most beautiful woman in this world. I don't regret it, I swear I don't," he proclaimed proudly.

"So what exactly are you holding on to? Are you blaming yourself for her death?"

Obito looked away at the ground. "I don't blame myself for her death; that, I know, is something not even I'm stupid enough to believe. When I find the bastard who killed her…" he trailed off as his mind produced many horrible thoughts of torture and blood.

"So what is it?" Kakashi asked.

"…" Obito closed his eyes tightly as more tears fell. "The night we made love… I… I couldn't say it…"

"Say what?"

"I could tell her that I loved her!" he cried and his body shook. He broke down and fell to his knees. "I chased her for years, asked her out for dates nonstop, but the night we finally expressed our love, I couldn't tell it to her."

"Obito…"

"It… the next day, she died without knowing," he slammed both fist onto the floor and leaned his body forward.

"That was eleven years ago,"

"So why does it feel like it happened just yesterday?" Obito asked and locked eyes with Kakashi. Through his hysteria, Obito didn't notice that he activated his Sharingan. Kakashi stared into his eyes, watching as each of the three tomoe in each eye shook violently. It then began to shake and change into an odd-looking Sharingan.

"Obito!" Kakashi shouted and Obito took a second to compose himself. He took in a breath with his eyes closed and when he opened them again, they were back to their normal black shade.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi," Obito said as he looked down at his hands. "That… That was a weak moment. You weren't supposed to see it,"

"It's fine," Kakashi said and kneeled in front of Obito. He grabbed Obito by the back of his neck and placed his forehead against Obito's.

"I miss her too. Not a day goes by when I don't think of her," he told him. "I know I'll never completely understand the type of bond you and her shared but I do understand how it feels to lose a loved one,"

Obito squeezed the last tear from his eyes before wiping it off. "I know you do,"

"It isn't good to hold on too hard to the past. You can't spend your whole life looking back. Not even when you can't see what lies ahead. All you can do is keep on keeping on, and try to believe that tomorrow will be what it should be – even if it isn't what you expected."

"That's pretty deep; who'd you rip it off of?" Obito asked with a smirk. Kakashi smiled as he got back up to his feet. Obito joined him.

"I got it from Kushina, believe it or not," he said and yawned. He stretched his tired body, earning a few, satisfying pops. "I'm gunna go to bed," He rubbed the back of his neck as he headed for his room. "Night," he waved.

"Night," Obito replied before going into his own room. He took a look at the empty cartons he tossed into the kitchen before shaking his head. "Cancer sticks…"

Off in the distance, a small boy came walking up to the shack standing near the entrance of the Leaf village.

"You know, it's pretty late," One of the Chūnin said as the boy stared at him with tired eyes.

"My town… need help… bad men…" Without another word, the boy fainted and the Chūnin standing guard rushed to help the boy up and sent him to the hospital right away

* * *

**Sigh, that was a handful...**

**By the way, can people stop bitching about Naruto's "weak-willed", "stupid" self? He's not weak-willed, he's going through a lot assholes... And he's not stupid.. How the hell would you react to all of this? Would you be any different?**

**Not like we can all really know so who are you to judge?**

**Sigh, sorry, I'm a bit agitated...**

***Also, we haven't seen all Naruto can do so don't call him weak! Neji's a jonin and a prodigy for god's sake! Even with Naruto being trained so harshly, he still isn't God or a mighty being... Calm down, he'll have his time in the sun again!**

**Till next time!**

**Next Chapter: Meeting With Clouds [I think...]**

**********Good luck with whatever and if you got a problem with me or one of my stories, please feel free to: Deal with it, Get over it or Choke on it...**


	14. Meeting with Clouds

**Sigh, troublesome...**

**You guys really don't find anything else to complain about these days don'tcha?**

**It's always the same "Why is Naruto so weak? Neji and Sasuke overpowered him.. He was trained by a kage and blah blah blah"**

**Seriously, guys, it's getting old... Sasuke didn't beat him, kill him, overpower him or any of the above combined.. All he did was move fast and cut Naruto's cheek slightly... He was caught off guard and still recovering... Sasuke is NOT stronger than Naruto just because he moved a bit faster than Naruto expected... Get over it... As for Neji, he's a jonin for a reason... I'm not taking anything away from him just to make Naruto seem like a god... **

**In fact, that's what it seems like you guys want. You want Naruto to be a God at the age of 14... **

**Not going to happen... True, he was trained by a kage and two jinchuuriki but that doesn't make him a god... He'll be stronger than most of the konoha 12 [more or less equal to Neji and Lee - in terms of taijutsu...] but he won't be as strong as kakashi or obito or guy, kurenai, hiashi, etc, etc...**

**Please, ****He's dealing with a lot of stuff and he's still recovering from the whole fight with that one Kumo kidnapper... Now, he should be fine... If - from this point on - something happens that makes naruto seem weaker than he really is, let me know... But till then, i'm not really dealing with it.. **

**Most likely, i'll just reply with a "Choke on it, Get over it, Deal with it" or any combination of the three...**

**Well, anyway, on with the show!**

**Chapter 13: Meeting with Clouds...**

**I don't own anything**

* * *

Since he woke up, Minato had been stressed out. He had to get Naruto's mission ready – which he didn't even know which mission to choose from – get his team organized so they could accompany him and to top it all off, Danzō had been riding him all morning to have the boy locked up.

Finally, the answer to most of his problems came to him in the form of a little boy lying in the hospital bed.

Naruto stood behind Minato as he, Obito, Kurenai and the new team Kurenai waited as the man spoke to the child.

"I see, so that's what we're going up against," Obito mumbled and the boy nodded.

"I… barely made it out alive. They almost caught me sneaking out pass curfew but I had to. My mother is probably worried sick about me so the sooner I can go back, the better."

"So you want to hire two bodyguard teams and a handful of our best construction workers," Minato summarized passively. "With only a thousand ryo to your name?"

The boy nodded, even though he knew it sounded stupid to even think of asking.

"You do realize that this sort of mission's price range is usually around five hundred thousand?" Minato asked. The boy hung his head depressingly and nodded numbly.

Naruto stared at the boy, feeling a sort of empathy for him. Minato turned his head to face the others in the room.

"What do you guys think?"

"Rules are rules, Lord Hokage," Sasuke said. "If he can't afford it, no matter how sad his story is, he should find someone else,"

"While a bit cruel, I understand Uchiha's view point," Shino stated factually. "However, I believe a sort of financial plan could be made."

"Yeah, what Shino said," Kiba said a bit distractedly. Minato turned his gaze to Kurenai.

"You know I can't turn my back to this," she told him but sighed. "Nevertheless, I will respect whatever decision you make, Lord Hokage,"

Obito shot his right arm out with his hand shaped into a fist. "I dare someone to stop me!" Obito declared.

Naruto, who leaned against the door of the hospital room, shrugged. "I'm here to pass this Trial, and I'd rather face a powerful gangster overlord with tons of tough goons than do something stupid like chase after a cat," he told him, though his last comment earned a sweat-drop from every genin in the room.

Minato turned back to face the boy and smiled. "Looks like it's your lucky day,"

"You can't be serious," Sasuke protested. "A thousand ryo? Split between about twenty people?"

Minato gave Sasuke a stare that silenced him.

"If it has to come out of my own pocket, I'll guarantee that each and every one of you gets the appropriate pay for this mission," Minato said and then stood.

"You'll leave for the Land of Waves by noon. That'll give Inari here about three hours to recuperate. Dismissed!" Everyone not tucked into a bed nodded and left the room.

Naruto opened the door for Kurenai, who smiled at him, before stepping to the side as Sasuke – who didn't even acknowledge his existence – Kiba and Shino walked out, the latter two giving him an odd look; though Kiba's dog was a bit friendlier than his master.

Obito just chuckled and patted Naruto's shoulder before leaving. Naruto stepped out of the room and saw Neji walking by. Smirking, Naruto caught up to Neji.

"So, what're you doing here?" Naruto asked and Neji turned his head so he was completely facing Naruto, but they never stopped walking.

"I don't think you really care," Neji replied and Naruto frowned.

"What? Then why would I ask?"

"So then I could walk into the gurney that'll be leaving the room up to the left right-" Neji stopped just as a gurney was rolled out of the room he predicted by two nurses. "Now," the two continued to walk down the hall with Naruto grumbling angrily.

"Don't be so angry, I almost fell for it,"

"Really?" Naruto asked incredulously as he turned to look at him.

Neji shook his head. "Nope, I'm just distracting you long enough for this to happen," Not even a second after Neji finished did Naruto run into an open door. He hit the door hard and fell to the ground, holding his nose.

"Dammit, that hurts!" Naruto spat out more curses as Neji chuckled and pressed the down button on the elevator.

"Don't mess with me; I'm a lot smarter than you are," Neji stated with a smirk and faced the elevator when it rang, signaling that the elevator car had arrived to Neji's floor. The door opened and Neji received a huge pie to the face.

Neji turned and faced Naruto, wiping his face with his hand and raised an eyebrow. "Clone waiting in the elevator with a pie ready at hand to throw at me?"

Naruto smirked as he wiped the blood out of his nose with his arm. "Yup."

"Now that's just sad," Neji stated and Naruto laughed.

"You might want to get that out of your hair before it sets; I added my own secret ingredient to it that you might or might not like," Naruto said cryptically and Neji eyed him for a moment longer before stepping into the elevator.

Naruto stood and grimaced in pain as he felt every inhalation of air he took sting his nose.

"Hey, can I get some help over here?" Naruto said out loud but saw no one around. He grumbled and walked down the hall where the nurses' station was. He saw someone bending over from under the desk, presumably getting something that fell.

"Uh, hello?" Naruto said and the nurse immediately stood.

"I'm sorry, how-" the nurse stopped dead in her tracks as she made eye contact with Naruto. Naruto's own eyes widened.

"You!" shouted Naruto as he pointed at the nurse. "You're the one I saw last night!"

Just as he said, the nurse was the same pink-haired, green-eyed girl he saw the night before. She panicked and immediately ran down the hall. "Hey-!"

Naruto ran after her, through stairs, hallways and doors. This went on for about ten minutes before Naruto started getting sick of running. He picked up his speed and managed to get in front of the nurse.

Unfortunately for him, the janitor chose that day to mop the floor where he decided to stomp his foot down to stop. The floor was still wet and slippery so when Naruto drove his foot down, he lost his balance, fell and slid down the hall until he crashed into the wall.

He groaned and waited a second before standing. He looked down the hall and there seemed to be two hallways in which two nurses of the same hair color ran into a room on the right.

Naruto shook his head and ran down the hall, randomly chose a door to open and ran into the room.

Naruto scanned the room but saw no sign of pink hair. Though, he did find something a little more interesting than a pink-haired nurse. It was five foot five, had the figure that any girl would kill for, short indigo hair, smooth creamy skin and the most beautiful eyes with the prettiest shade of lavender.

In short, he was in the same room as Hinata.

Oh yeah, she was also in her underwear.

"N-N-N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata stuttered disbelievingly. Naruto blushed and pressed himself against the door. A second later, blood trickled down his nose. He opened the door and stepped outside before closing it again.

He stared at the door that blocked him from viewing a sight that any boy around his age would kill to see. It brought him a sort of joy that only he'd seen Hinata in that light. Still, he rejected the idea of opening the door again and taking another peak.

He rejected it over and over and over and over…

Movement caught his eye and he turned to the left to see the nurse that had momentarily evaded him try to sneak away.

"Hey! I just wanna talk!" The nurse turned and sighed.

"I didn't do it," she said guiltily. Naruto walked up to the nurse and when he felt like she wouldn't run off again, he began to speak.

"Let me tell you something. Usually, when I say 'I just wanna talk' and the first thing I hear is 'I didn't do it', it makes me think that the person I'm talking to must have done something. You know what I'm saying?" Naruto said and the pink-haired girl blushed.

"What do you want? I'm a little busy at the moment and am very behind schedule."

"All I want to know is the technique you used last night," Naruto said and the nurse scoffed.

"You're crazy; I don't know any technique. I'm not even a kunoichi. Now, if you'll excuse me," the girl brushed past Naruto who eyed the nametag clinging on to her uniform. He grabbed her arm.

"No, wait, Sakura," Sakura stopped for a second, probably wondering how he knew her name, before she remembered her nametag and freed her hand from his grasp.

Naruto watched her go and turn into the left, disappearing from his sight. He chuckled deviously as he opened his left hand and saw Sakura's nametag over his palm. Her picture was on the tag and she was smiling, a bit forcefully but he had seen worse.

For some reason, Naruto wanted to know who this Sakura girl was. He would have to ask one of the few people he actually trusted in Konoha to tell him about her. Unfortunately, that one person was currently in one of the hospital rooms and was half naked.

He walked up to the room and knocked.

"H-Hinata?" he stuttered, his determination vanished as soon as an image of Hinata in her current state of dress entered his mind. He didn't hear her reply so he knocked again, this time, a bit harder and louder. Still nothing.

Naruto frowned as he thought about entering again. She wasn't responding to his knocks; so that either meant she wasn't in the room or she fainted.

The latter sounded more plausible.

Nevertheless, he had to make sure she was ok. He opened the door and walked in to see Hinata lying on the floor with a small puddle of blood surrounding her head. Naruto didn't think twice to rush by her side, though a blush did stain his cheeks.

'_I'm only touching her to make sure she's ok… I'm only looking at her awesome body because I want to make sure she's ok… I'm only-Wow her skin's soft,'_ Naruto thought before he hands passed over to her neck. His hands travelled lower and ended up on her nice slender waist. He paused and his eyes passed over her body once again.

'_If she wanted, she could probably have any man in this stinkin' village… Hell, she'd probably have men from my village getting in line just to have her talk to them…'_ he continued before shaking his head and picking her up bridal-style. He put her on the chair/bed thing that was behind her and then examined her, making sure her right arm remained in the sling.

He was no doctor, but if the trail of blood coming from her nose had anything to say about it, Naruto had to presume that's where all the blood on the floor came from. But, what exactly caused her to bleed?

He ran scenario after scenario in his head. Hinata accidently falling forward and hitting her nose against the desk; her falling forward and landing face-first on the floor after realizing Naruto found her half naked. Most of the scenarios had a common factor; Naruto!

"Oh Kami, this is my fault," he panicked as he looked around the room. He started searching for smelling salts in the cabinets around the room. Nothing but needles, different types of liquid of different shades and colors, gauze and other medical stuff; except smelling salts!

He looked back at her and blushed again. He ran up to her and gently shook her shoulders. "Hinata, please wake up! Don't be dead! I need you!" Naruto roared out in his stated of hysteria.

"Oh shit, Neji's gunna-Strike that! Your dad will kill me!" Naruto pleaded to the unconscious girl but she remained the way she was. He went to the sink, cupped some water into his palms, and splashed her face with it. All he succeeded in doing was making her silky and creamy body wet – with the light doing some interesting things to the way Naruto say her – and making his shorts feel two sizes too small.

A sudden idea hit Naruto like a ton of bricks, making him blush a darker shade of red. He slowly walked up to Hinata and eyed her lips. He licked his own lips and felt sweat drip down his brow.

His head started to lean forward, on its own accord, and he saw her lips begin to get closer to his. Or was it the other way around? It didn't matter, in another second, they'd meet once more.

He was so close, he could feel it. Naruto closed his eyes and was so close that he could dimly feel her sweet breath touch his lips. It sent a shiver down his spine and he momentarily paused. He shook his head slowly and finally touched her lips.

Don't judge; it worked in the movies didn't it?

Jolts of electricity jumping from nerve to nerve; fireworks going off, lighting up the bleak abyss of the night sky; tasting the first noodle of ramen after not having any for longer than twenty-four hours. This, if someone had asked Naruto, was how it felt to kiss Hinata. The whole was far greater than the sum of its parts, in this case.

Naruto almost jumped out of his skin when he was taken out of his blissful mindset by a soft petite hand grabbing his shoulder. He blinked and felt an odd sense of joy when he saw that it was Hinata who was holding on to his shoulder.

What he wasn't expecting, though, was for Hinata to wrap her only able arm around Naruto's neck and deepen the kiss. He opened his mouth in shock and was about to say something until he felt something warm, moist and electrifying slither into his mouth.

Naruto's eyes sprang open but soon enough felt his tongue dance alongside Hinata's. His tongue had a mind of its own but it seemed to Naruto that his tongue had more brains than he did in this matter.

A primal instinct began to fog Naruto's mind. It was something he felt once before with Hinata but it was more controlled last time. Now, it was in full control and Naruto could only physically feel his hands grab onto Hinata's waist once more. She didn't help when her right hands slid under his shirt and started wandering around his lean stomach.

Very sloppily, Hinata's left leg wrapped itself around Naruto's waist. Another surge of primal desire short-circuited Naruto's brain and he could feel his mouth depart from Hinata's only to hover over Hinata's exposed neck after she tilted her head to the right. He was panting and every breath that touched Hinata's skin made her shiver and shake her waist.

"Na-ru-to," Hinata mumbled absentmindedly, her tone pleading and anxious. A smirk split Naruto's face in half as he opened his mouth wider and began to nibble on Hinata's delicious neck.

'_What's… going on here? This… We shouldn't… Uh…. What?' _his train of thought had gone off track, down the hill, over the cliff and hit the ground at a thousand miles per hour, blowing up into millions among millions of physically pleasing pieces.

'_**It is all right, my host,**_' Naruto was surprised he heard anything besides the sounds of Hinata's moans and mewling. He internally snarled at Yōko, angry that she was disturbing him while he marked Hinata. He bit Hinata's neck, a little too callously but Naruto didn't care. Hinata let out a slight gasp of pain before it changed into gasps of pleasure.

'_**You've been suppressing your feelings for far too long. Such a thing isn't healthy,**_' Yōko said impassively. _**'Let me help you,'**_

Naruto could feel the hidden, primal urge begin to invade his mind and he began to panic. With his body on autopilot, his brain had little to do but think and… Well… The other thing the brain does… It was on the tip of Naruto tongue. No, wait, that was Hinata's tongue again.

'_Focus!'_ a voice said, echoing in his head, and Naruto mentally shook his head. He started to put up barriers in his head, like he was taught to do by Roshi. He first had to push all the primal need and desire out of his mind.

It took him a while but eventually, Naruto succeeded in emptying his mind of thoughts of physical pleasure. The barrier would hold up long enough for Naruto to compose himself and figure out how to settle this mess out.

Once the barrier was up, Naruto could feel the Kyūbi's chakra leaking from the seal and enveloping him in a light red cloak of chakra. Surprisingly, Hinata's perfectly smooth skin didn't burn but instead, shimmered with her sweat and made Naruto want to nibble it.

So there was the problem; now all he had to do was figure out how to solve the problem.

'_Yōko,'_ Naruto's voice echoed in his mind and was then met with silence. He began to wonder whether or not she actually heard him.

'_**Master?'**_ she replied back, sounding a bit confused and anxious. More than that, it sounded blocked, like she was in another room. Probably the effect of having the barriers set up around him.

'_What's going on?'_ Naruto asked loudly.

'_**I wanted to help my host feel satisfied.'**_

'_This is wrong!'_ Naruto chided, feeling some of his anger wash over him and making the barriers waver a bit. _'I… Hinata and I… stop making us do this!'_

'_**You don't understand, my host, I am not making either of you two do this.'**_

Naruto blinked. _'W-What?'_

'_**I am simply using my chakra to help bring out your instincts.'**_Yōko said. _**'I am as much involved in making you two mate as the air you breathe. This is your instinctual behaviors acting out; I am simply amplifying them,'**_ she explained and Naruto growled.

He didn't even try to fight her, she didn't understand human reasoning. He had a better chance telling the wind to sit still.

Concentrating again, Naruto started to unconsciously apply his own chakra to his breath everything he exhaled. Now he had to be patient as Auto-piloted-Naruto was now lightly chewing on Hinata's earlobe. Damn, he was a freak…

Finally, the time came and the two locked lips again. Naruto forced more chakra into his breath and soon enough, it had its desired effect.

Hinata began to blink as she felt hungry lips on hers. Her eyes widened and took in everything in the room.

The entire room was a mess as Hinata clung on to Naruto's neck with her good arm while he was groping her butt and carried her all over the room. Materials used by the staff of the hospital lay all over the floor or knocked on its side.

"Na-Naruto?" Hinata managed to squeak out and soon enough felt a soft of warmth start to wrap around her. It was inviting, reassuring and she felt like hugging Naruto closer; it didn't help that Naruto kept doing that nice thing of biting her earlobe.

'_No! Hinata! Don't fall for it again!'_ Naruto mentally shouted.

"Wait, wait! Th-This is wrong," Hinata said as she lightly pushed Naruto back with her good hand.

Instinct-Naruto blinked and Hinata could see the glassy look Naruto had in his eyes. Even though she kept his lips off of her, his hands were a different story.

"P-Please sto… Stop doing tha-don't stop…" she corrected as Naruto gave her a firm squeeze on the butt. She shook her head and blushed at her words. Wow was she suppressing big time.

"Naruto please," Hinata pleaded as she tried to slide out of his grasp. But every time she resisted, he did something that made her want to stop resisting. "Please…"

Naruto tried to suppress the Kyūbi's chakra; why wasn't it working? It always worked before but now…

"Naruto!" Hinata shouted, half in pleasure, half in worry. She placed her left hand on the back of his neck, planted her lips on his again and then time froze.

Unlikely the previous kiss, this kiss wasn't one of need, pleasure, and desire. It was one of love and concern, a pleading one with strong hope and determination.

His heart softened and the Kyūbi's chakra began to slowly go away. Thanks to Naruto, it was gone before he could even finish blinking. He returned the kiss, with as much care and delicacy as one has with a fragile flower. He could feel his hands start to move up from her butt to her waist. They parted and they opened their eyes.

His azure crystals locked on to Hinata's lavender diamonds and for an assuring, peaceful moment, everything felt right in the world. Then a thought struck Naruto and he looked away, ashamed.

"I-I'm… I'm sorry, Hinata…" Hinata tilted her head in confusion but before she could put her expression into words, he released his hold on her and ran out of the room though he did remember to close the door. She just stared at the door for a long time before her brain registered the sounds of panting.

She realized that she was the one panting heavily and within seconds, she controlled her breathing.

"Ok, Hinata-" the female doctor started as she entered the room before noticing the state of her room. "What happ-" she stopped again when her eyes landed on Hinata.

"What?" Hinata asked.

"What happened to your bra?" the doctor asked and Hinata blinked before looking down to see that her bra was hanging loosely by her arms, revealing her firm rosy-tipped mounds to the room. She looked back up before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell back.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Naruto leaned against the wall of Konoha's front gates. His eyes were closed, his arms crossed over his chest and a giant scroll leaning on the wall beside him.

Sasuke stared at him with a critical eye as he sat under the shade of a nearby tree. He was the first to arrive at the gate and would've been happier if he'd remained alone for a while longer. But instead, about an hour later, Naruto arrived.

He did know that there was about an hour left before they had to leave, right?

Regardless, the stranger was still there, only twenty feet away from him and completely ignored him. True, he wasn't as arrogant as he used to be as a child – thanks to the very harsh training he took under Obito-sensei and Itachi – but he couldn't help it; he was an Uchiha, dammit! They deserved to be acknowledged, whether in spite or awe.

Naruto couldn't care less who was around; not even if a man came running at him with a sword that size of the Hokage Tower. Not that he'd just stand there and let it happen; he'd strike the man down first or something. The point was, he had other things to think about besides the duck-haired boy sitting under the tree.

He could sit and glare all he wanted; Naruto wouldn't pay him on mind.

No, instead, he was thinking about what happened an hour ago. Currently, he was talking to Yōko who wouldn't answer any of his questions. He was in his mindscape with Yōko with her back turned to him from behind the giant cage.

"What the hell was that about?" Naruto demanded for the tenth time but she continued to stare into the cage. The sound of dripping water could be heard from within the cage but Naruto ignored that.

"…**I was trying to help…"** she whispered lowly and Naruto blinked. The emotion behind her tone made his anger falter. It was apologetic and soft; almost as if she regretted what she had done. This time, it sounded like there was a second drip of water falling a second before the first. **"I know you care for your mate but are hesitant to show it. Maybe the way I went about it was a bit… blunt," **she continued and Naruto shivered as he listened to her, a realization hitting him. Was she… crying?

"Yōko," Naruto paused. "Why couldn't I suppress your chakra until Hinata kissed me that last time?"

"**My chakra amplifies your primal emotions and actions. At the time, you were lost in your primal lust; something you've suppressed for a while but is originally your own emotion. When she kissed you, you could sense the love and the pleading for it to end so the lust subsided,"** she answered sadly.

"So, basically, she made all my lust disappear?"

"**She replaced the lust with love, something that I can't completely comprehend; hence, something my chakra can't amplify," **she turned to look at Naruto before turning back to face the abyss. Naruto was right; she was crying.

"**I'll understand if you don't wish to call for my help any time soon, my host,"** she said before walking forward. Naruto watched her go, wishing he could say something, anything to make her feel better. Sure she was a demonic chakra beast with no complete comprehension of human emotions or logic…

But she was still a girl…

He knew better, though; he couldn't tell her it was ok since it wasn't. She could've really gotten him in trouble if anyone had walked in on them; not to mention that Hinata probably hates him now.

No, it wasn't ok but still, his chivalry-side just wouldn't shut up.

So, he settled on watching her go in silence and with a shake of his head.

He opened his eyes and saw Sasuke still staring at him with a cold, indifferent calculating look. Naruto blinked before composing himself and smirking. Sasuke's left eyebrow rose slightly at this. Naruto effortlessly pushed himself off and walked up to the sitting Uchiha. Naruto stopped three feet short of Sasuke and stared down at him.

The smirk on his face decreased a bit.

"What?" Sasuke asked, clearly annoyed. Naruto shook his head a bit and kept the smirk on his face. Sasuke stood and stared him down.

Sasuke ducked under Naruto's sudden punch and brought his left forearm up to block his attempt to kick him in the face. He grabbed on to Naruto's leg and pulled back as he used his right fist to send an uppercut to Naruto's chin.

Naruto bent back and watched as the fist harmlessly passed by. Sasuke reeled his fist back, dropped to all fours and spun to kick Naruto's legs under him. Naruto jumped over his kick and then back when Sasuke followed it up with a spinning backhand.

"Wow, still quick," Naruto teased with a chuckle, followed by a smirk. Sasuke's eyes narrowed and disappeared in front of Naruto's eyes. Naruto's smirk was replaced with a frown; he jumped to the left, grabbed on to Sasuke's left hand – which was holding a kunai – and his right hand grabbing the back of Sasuke's neck.

He used Sasuke's momentum to shove Sasuke into the ground. Sasuke rolled and jumped to his feet, his glare intensifying.

"What's wrong princess?" Naruto mocked and cracked his knuckles.

"…" Sasuke stood and tilted his head back a bit. Naruto wanted to pummel the Uchiha's head into the ground; his smug, haughty attitude was really starting to get on his nerves. "What's your name?"

"Why the hell do you care?" Naruto replied stoically.

"What's. Your. Name?" Sasuke repeated.

"It's polite to introduce yourself before asking someone else for their name," Naruto chided with a smirk, earning a snarl from Sasuke.

"Sasuke Uchiha; I'm surprised you didn't know that," Sasuke answered before saying the last part with a smirk. Naruto's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Why do you say that?"

"You're that Iwa-nin, right? I heard you've studied all there is to know of Konoha,"

"I only know important things," Naruto replied before smirking. "The fact that I don't know who you are should tell you something,"

"Tch," Sasuke scoffed. "I am the rookie of the year of my graduating class. You're not at my level yet," Sasuke taunted but it didn't even affected Naruto in the least. He only blinked.

"Congratulations?"

"I didn't expect an idiot like you to understand," Sasuke spat in disdain and Naruto almost laughed out loud. Instead, he shook his head and went back to lean against the wall with his giant scroll.

"I don't like to be ignored," Sasuke declared as he took out his kunai and lazily tossed it at Naruto. Naruto shoved his hand in his back pocket and unrolled it, placed his blood over it and took out his ninjato, all in one swift move. He swung down and split the kunai in half, making it split off before it could hit him. The split kunai hit the ground and dug into the ground up until the hilt.

Sasuke tried to restrain his emotions from showing on his face but Naruto caught the slight widening of his eyes.

Naruto dispersed the wind chakra in his ninjato and returned it back in its sheathe. There was a clip on the sheathe so Naruto could attach it to a belt loop on his black cargo pants.

"Not that I don't trust you or anything," Naruto said as he patted his ninjato, "but I think I'll keep this out."

Sasuke glared at Naruto as if it could annihilate him. Naruto wanted to laugh but decided against it.

"You never told me your name," Sasuke stated and Naruto turned around before bending down in front of his scroll. He laid it on the ground and rolled it out.

"Naruto; Naruto of the Blazing Gale," he answered as he started to read the contents of the scroll. Sasuke continued to stare at him before scoffing and sitting back under the shade.

Time passed and eventually, everyone appeared. Kiba and Shino came together in the middle of a conversation and Kurenai appeared after splitting off with some chain-smoker meters away. Interesting guy, that one; Naruto could barely see him grope her before disappearing in a gust of wind and leaves.

Kurenai was flustered and for a second, it looked like she wanted to drag him into a dark alley.

Obito was the last to arrive with the boy from the Land of Waves.

"All right team, we're all here and it's time to head out. Any last minute things? Bathroom, goodbyes, food…?" Naruto was about to begin walking when he saw someone walking towards them.

'_Oh crap, no!'_ he thought exasperatedly as he saw Hinata stop in front of the group.

"Hinata," Sasuke and Kiba said as the same time, with the same happy/hopeful tone. Hinata smiled at them and gave each of them a wave. They seemed content with that.

"Hello Hinata," Shino said tonelessly and Hinata nodded at him and returned the greeting.

"Come to say goodbye?" Kurenai asked but only received a hug as her response. She hugged her back and then Hinata turned her eyes to Naruto who was staring at his feet with new-found interest.

"Naruto," Hinata called him out and he begrudgingly looked up. "C-Can we talk?"

Naruto gulped but nodded nonetheless. The two walked off from the group and Obito looked at his wristwatch.

"Five minutes," Obito stated and Naruto nodded. He could feel two pair of eyes glaring at the back of his head but he pushed it to the back of his mind; it was the least of his worries.

When she felt that they were a good distance away, Hinata faced Naruto but stared at her hands that fiddled with her index fingers.

"About what h-happened… back in the h-hospital," Hinata started.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean for it to go so far," Naruto apologized and Hinata gave him a quizzical yet curious gaze.

"Where did you mean it to go?" she asked and he blushed.

"Well, I saw you unconscious on the floor and it always worked in the movies and-"

"What?"

"N-Nothing; look the point is I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take advantage of you," Naruto tried to explain but decided to give up.

"…" Hinata tilted her head forward so the only thing Naruto could see was a small cute blush on her cheeks and a small smile on her lips. "We'll talk more about it when you get back," she said and reached out to hold his hand with her left hand. He met her half way, still surprised by her lack of anger.

"Y-You're not… mad?" the blush on her face darkened and she was looking off to the side. She mumbled something under her breath that Naruto faintly caught as 'I annoyed it'… whatever that meant.

"What?" Naruto asked and he just when he was beginning to think she couldn't get any redder, she proved him wrong.

"I kinda enjoyed it," she said, this time a little louder than before. This caused a blush to appear on his cheeks. "We'll talk later," she said and gave him a light peck on the cheek. She began to walk off and he watched her go. She was a weird one, but damn it all if he wasn't interested in her.

"Come on, you'll be back to suck each other's faces when you get back," Obito shouted and Naruto turned to glare at him. Obito just smiled like an idiot before walking off. Naruto noticed that all but Shino was glaring at him.

Well, Kurenai gave him a suspicious stare – that shook his foundation at how intense those red rubies were – while Kiba looked like he wanted to rip his hair off and Sasuke wanted to burn him to a crisp.

Generally, it was a death glare but Naruto knew the difference in a regular death glare and a die-dammit- die-by-fire death glare. He would know; he'd thrown around that kind of glare before and had even done it.

Another story for another time…

With one more check-over, the group headed out with Obito and Kurenai taking the lead, team 8 in the back and Naruto and Inari sandwiched between them. Naruto gave the kid a onceover, noticing that while intact, his clothes were in poor condition. There were a couple of holes spread out through his light blue shirt and white overalls.

It also looks like he hadn't had a good night's sleep in over a week – excluding last night's.

There was something else; something that he wasn't telling them. Naruto could see it in the boy's eyes. He was hiding something that he should've told them, something that scared Inari like nothing ever had before.

Typical; nothing was ever what it seemed whenever he was involved, Naruto reflected.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Hinata stared nervously as she waited for her mother to respond. She had remained quiet and stock-still ever since Hinata finished her story. That was twenty minutes ago.

She was really starting to get scared; what if she decided to get angry at her and tell her never to talk to her, Minato or Naruto ever again. She prayed that that'd never happen.

Finally, for the first time since freezing, Kushina blinked and finally registered that Hinata was still in the room. She blinked again when she looked down and saw a bowl of ramen sitting on the coffee table.

"I thought you'd get hungry when you snapped out of it," Hinata said and Kushina nodded before grabbing the chopsticks and grabbing a bit of ramen. She opened her mouth slightly to eat the noodles but then closed her eyes, shook her head and put down the chopsticks. Now that was something to be afraid of; Kushina never waited to eat ramen if she could help it.

"So, he walks in on you in your underwear while you wait for your annual evaluation. He leaves, and you faint when you have… 'vivid images'…" Kushina summarized, putting air quotes around _vivid images_ and making Hinata blush, "and when you come too, he's kissing you and… groping you and you enjoyed it…

"Is that about right?" Kushina asked and even though she wanted to die that moment, Hinata nodded.

"I see," Kushina said as she leaned back and gave Hinata a calculating stare of neutrality. "What do you plan on doing about it?" she asked and Hinata blinked.

"Do…?" Kushina nodded, "about it? I don't follow,"

"My son made some pretty blunt advances on you, my sweet not-so-innocent Hinata," Kushina said with a teasing tone but managed to keep a stoic expression on. "It's pretty obvious that he likes you,"

"That's his way of showing that he likes me?" Hinata asked hysterically and blushing furiously; thinking of what he would've done if he loved her. Whoa, not the time…

"In a nutshell; there are a couple of complications in it but that's basically him telling you he likes you," Kushina answered and then she leaned forward, letting her elbows rest on her knees and her chin rest on her cupped hands.

"Now my question to you is, do you like him back?" Kushina asked and Hinata gulped.

"I-I…" Hinata stared straight into Kushina's violet eyes and summoned up her courage. Sink or swim.

"I like him," Hinata admitted with a cute blush and Kushina continued to observe her. Suddenly, her lips quivered for a good ten seconds before she burst out laughing. When she calmed down, she began to eat the ramen.

"Good job Hinata; all you have to do is pass Minato's test and you're in the clear," she said between mouthfuls of ramen. Hinata blinked confusingly.

"Wha… What?" she stuttered and then waited for Kushina to finish eating.

"It's just a formality," Kushina explained and wiped her lips with her right forearm. "Years ago, before you or Naruto was born, we –your parents and Minato and I – agreed to drill the other's kid if they ever decided to date. In retrospect, we probably would've done the same to anyone who tried to date our kids but we knew that we'd go easy on you guys since we were kinda hoping for you to hook up…

"You know, before the whole death-faking event," Kushina said, her voice going down a decibel. She then smiled at Hinata and drank the rest of the ramen.

"So my father…"

"Will most likely try to psychologically destroy my son before you two date. You know, whenever he finds out his feelings for you and vice-versa," a thought then occurred to Kushina and she looked at Hinata with wide eyes.

"You didn't tell him about this… did you?" she asked and Hinata looked away. "Oh boy, I do not want to be Minato right now,"

In the Hokage Tower, Hiashi stepped out of Minato's office with a frown. The secretary bid him a farewell. She heard Minato groan so she shot up off her chair and into his office to see him on the floor with both his arms' chakra points closed and a bump forming on his forehead.

**[*.*.*.*]**

It's been a day since they left and were going to be in the Land of Waves within two hours. So far, it's all been smooth sailing; both figuratively and literally.

After silently crossing the waters, they reached a clearing that was too quiet for Naruto's taste; everyone but Inari thought so too.

The group stopped when a mist enveloped them and made everything outside of twenty meters impossible to see.

Be careful guys," Obito said as he activated his Sharingan. Everyone nodded and they continued on, until they saw a silhouette standing off in the distance. Obito signaled the group behind him to stay back as he neared the silhouette.

"Obito Uchiha," the silhouette growled out sinisterly. "What a surprise,"

"That voice," Obito remembered the voice and smirked. "So, you finally come out of the shadows…"

The silhouette walked closer to the group and they could see him more clearly. He was wearing a large black coat over him that covered his entire body, arms and legs. The lower half of his face was covered by the coat but everyone could see his dark, demonic black eyes. There was a hilt coming over his head, hiding the blade behind the man's back. The most noticeable detail – besides the giant zanbatō – was the red clouds embedded into the black coat.

"Zabuza Momochi," Kurenai identified the coated man, making said man chuckle deeply and throaty.

"At your service," he said as his right hand reached the hilt of his zanbatō and swung it forward. He handled the thing as if it was as heavy as a twig.

Naruto felt his throat tightened; he had heard tales of this man and though they were nothing compared to the stories of the Yellow Flash, it was nothing to laugh at either.

He squeezed his fists closed as he stood his ground and watched as Inari shivered in fear. Kiba looked shaken but firm. Sasuke was about the same but a bit better at hiding his fear. Shino seemed all right but Naruto knew better; he could hear the bugs in him buzzing. Kurenai seemed more worried of the genin then her own life.

"This is going to be fun," he said as he charged forward, his zanbatō held back and ready to be swung forward at a moment's notice.

* * *

**Well, that's about it...**

**I get the feeling that this chapter isn't going to make everyone happy but whatever...**

**Till next time!**

**********Good luck with whatever and if you got a problem with me or one of my stories, please feel free to: Deal with it, Get over it or Choke on it...**


	15. Title TBA later

**I'm sorry...**

**I snapped the last chapter and it was wrong of me...**

**I'm not gonna give you a pathetic excuse that I was emotionally unstable or any crap like that...**

**I'm just... sorry...**

**I probably lost a lot of readers [not counting the odd plot i have used...] and i'm hoping to be forgiven for my mistake...**

**Anyways, enjoy the chapter...**

**I don't own anything...**

* * *

The first thing Naruto did was jump behind Inari and grab him by the shoulders; Inari's eyes widened in shock.

"What are you doing?" Kiba asked as everyone but Obito turned their eyes on him. "Are you hiding behind a child?"

"Shut up!" Naruto shouted in anger before knocking Inari out with a swift chop to the neck. A second later, Naruto summoned a clone and without a word of communication, it picked up Inari and disappeared into the forest.

Naruto turned to face Zabuza just as Obito appeared in front of him and blocked the man's zanbatō with his kunai. "It's better if he's safe and out of the way."

While she didn't agree with the manner of which he had done it, Kurenai did see that what Naruto had done was logical.

"Next time, don't do something like that without consulting me or Obito-sensei," Kurenai scolded lightly and Naruto gave her a sideways glance before nodding. "Stay back, I'm going to go support Obito-sensei. And if either of us say _run_, you guys run," she said but didn't wait for them to reply.

Suddenly, Naruto felt a cold, demonic psychic blanket wrap around him. It sent a shiver down his spine and brought the images of his death to his mind. Naruto shook it off and held strong. This was Zabuza's presence.

It was very common for high-level jonin to learn how to use their presence. Zabuza had obviously gone with the paralyzing-fear sort of presence. Naruto was used to it though, having been in the presence of person with an actual demon in them reduced Zabuza's affect on him.

Still, he couldn't say the same for the rest of his team.

He looked back to see Sasuke and Kiba staring wide-eyed at the Demon of the Hidden Mist. Kiba was shaking, so was his dog but Sasuke seemed a bit more controlled. Stupid Sasuke…

"Your name's Shino, right?" Naruto mumbled to Shino who stood behind him. Shino took a second but he let out a grunt of affirmation. "You seem to handle yourself quite well," Naruto noted.

"Not as well as you give me credit for," Shino retorted and lost his footing for a second.

"Better than those two," Naruto said, momentarily looking at Kiba and Sasuke. Kiba's dog sneezed. "Er, three…" Shino turned his head to look at them as well before both felt a small surge of chakra in the trees near Sasuke.

Shino couldn't react fast enough to summon his bugs to stop whoever hid in the trees from doing something to his comrade; Naruto did, though.

Naruto shoved Sasuke out of the way just as a gust of wind passed him and froze his back and lower part of his body into a block of ice. Naruto shivered in his place and slowly turned his head to Sasuke who was looking at him with wide eyes.

"W-Why…?" Sasuke stuttered, still not out of his stupor.

"D-D-Don't get a-any ideas," Naruto said with a smirk, his voice shivering from the cold. "I d-didn't do t-t-t-this for you,"

"Then why?" Kiba asked.

"To f-find out w-where the attack c-c-came from!" Naruto said loudly before his body began to glow with red chakra. Flames began to flicker to life from under the ice before he shook off the ice off him as if it were leaves. He faced the opposite direction from where the attack came from and held his breath.

With him flashing through hand signs, Naruto eventually sucked in a breath and then spat out a bullet of air.

"**Wind Style: Air Bullet!**" The air bullet tore through tree after tree for about half a mile before it ended. Naruto waited patiently, scanning the torn the trees and the areas around them, looking for any movement.

He caught something flying towards him and jumped back just as a senbon needle appeared by his feet. He picked it up and examined it before tossing it into the pile of trees.

"You are quite fast," a soft voice murmured behind Naruto. With reflexes he gained through years of training, he turned and sent a fist forward. It came in contact with a solid yet thin wall of ice. In the ice, Naruto could see a person in it, wearing the same coat that Zabuza was wearing but had a mask concealing his or her face.

Regardless of gender, Naruto growled at the person in the ice before watching the ice dissolve into water.

"But are your friends just as fast?" Naruto heard the same voice say though it was echoing from every direction.

"They're not my friends," Naruto replied back, looking around. While he did, he noticed that Sasuke had managed to snap out of his stupor enough to become observant of his surroundings. Kiba was still shaken by Zabuza's presence but he was also looking around with an embarrassed frown on his face. His dog was whimpering by now, not quite used to the presence.

"Shino," Naruto called out and knew that he had said boy's attention. "Send out your insects to locate this clown," Naruto ordered. Shino raised an eyebrow and Naruto faced him.

"There a problem?" Naruto asked and Shino waited to answer before raising his hands and letting his bugs fly in all directions.

"That won't help you," the voice echoed again. Shino's bugs returned and Shino's body stiffened.

"There are four of them," Shino reported and then looked at Naruto. "Your clone is currently fighting the same cloaked-figure,"

"Damn it," Naruto cursed. "We need to stick-"

"Where's the nearest one?" Sasuke asked and Naruto glared at him.

"We can't separate," Naruto chided. "This is what they want,"

"I agree with Naruto," Shino said but received a glare from Sasuke.

"I don't care what this loser thinks, just tell me," Sasuke barked and Shino just stared at him from behind his sunglasses before pointing behind him. Sasuke turned and dashed down the direction.

"Uchiha, you bastard!" Naruto yelled and tightened his fist in anger. He scoffed and looked at Shino. Before he could ask where his clone was, he received his clone's memories and his eyes widened.

"Stay here," Naruto said and disappeared in a blur of orange and yellow.

"So he tells Uchiha to not go but he runs off anyway? What a hypocrite," Kiba said but Shino shook his head.

"Do you not remember why he summoned the clone in the first place?" Shino asked and Kiba scoffed, folding his arms over his chest and looking away.

"He made a clone to take… Inari and…" the thought finally hit Kiba and he looked in the direction where Naruto ran off to. "Stupid Naruto. So what do we do now?"

"Look brother, we have guests," a voice said, its tone darker and huskier.

"It seems so," a second voice replied, his voice still husky but a lot smoother than the first. Shino and Kiba turned to see two figures walking towards them.

"Let's have some fun," the one on the left said cynically and the other nodded.

***.***

Obito jumped back just as Zabuza swung his zanbatō. Zabuza growled at Obito who kept his cool and his face neutral.

"Stand still so I can slice you into ten different pieces," Zabuza demanded as he jumped and swung his zanbatō down. Obito barrel rolled to the left and threw his kunai at Zabuza.

"You know, saying stuff like that doesn't make me want to stand still," he said as Zabuza ducked under the kunai but wasn't expecting Obito to send both of his feet into his face. Zabuza stepped back, recovering from the kick and opened his eyes to se Obito running through hand signs.

"**Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!**" he muttered quickly and spat out a giant ball of fire. Zabuza raced through his own hand signs before covering himself with a dome of water.

"**Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu!**" the fireball hit the dome of water but the two cancelled each other out and Zabuza came out unscathed. Suddenly, the water rose again and entrapped him in a dome of water. Before it enveloped him, Zabuza brought his hands together and clasped the fingers.

"Very useful technique," Obito said with his right hand in the prison and Zabuza refused to meet him in the eyes. He instead glared at his mouth.

Obito watched in amusement as Zabuza tried to move his arms. "It's useless; just give up now,"

His smirk was wiped clean off when Zabuza managed to make a simple hand sign. Obito could feel Zabuza's chakra reaching out to his fallen zanbatō and jumped away just as the zanbatō came out of nowhere and sliced open the prison.

Zabuza grabbed his zanbatō and ran at Obito as if he hadn't just been trapped in the water prison. Obito cursed under his breath but soon disappeared in a shimmering haze.

Zabuza stopped and growled when he saw his whole world haze over into a dark, ominous void.

"Yuhi!" Zabuza barked out in outrage. No one replied back. Zabuza cursed under his breath and waited patiently.

His patience paid off as he felt something pierce his stomach. He bit down the pain as his left hand reached up and grabbed onto the hand which was holding the kunai that was buried in his stomach.

He dispersed the genjutsu on his own and was back to reality. The first thing he saw was Kurenai's surprised expression.

"How… How are you able to move?" she asked and Zabuza only grinned devilishly. He swung his zanbatō horizontally and Kurenai was able to compose herself just in time to avoid being sliced in two. Still, the zanbatō managed to leave a huge gash on her side.

Zabuza leapt back as a rain of kunai threatened to enter him. He looked up and saw Obito helping Kurenai stand.

"You ok?" he asked and she nodded, biting her inner cheek to avoid showing too much of her pain.

"I'm fine, I just need to rest," she answered and pushed herself off of Obito. "Go deal with him," she said and he nodded. She limped over to a tree and slid down slowly. She could feel her blood pour of her wound and pressed her hand against it.

Obito watched her do all of this before turning to face Zabuza.

"You bastard," he snarled but Zabuza only shrugged his shoulders.

"A job's a job," he said nonchalantly.

"A job?" Obito questioned but Zabuza didn't answer as he started to make hand signs. Obito mimicked his movements and soon enough, the two jumped to the side and landed on top of a nearby lake.

"**Water Style: Water Dragon Justsu!**" they both shouted as monstrous dragons of water rose from the water and began to circle each other. They collided in a thunderous clash of teeth and soon enough cancelled each other out.

Obito and Zabuza met just under them and struggled for dominance as Obito wielded a kunai and Zabuza with his zanbatō. Obito jumped back and tossed his kunai at Zabuza.

Zabuza blocked the weapon with his zanbatō before he reeled it back and swung the giant, letting it fly towards the still airborne Uchiha.

The gaping hole on the blunt side of the zanbatō hit Obito's neck and sent him flying into a tree. The tree cracked under the force and fell on its side.

Obito popped his head out from the side of the tree and groaned as he tried to lift the giant blade.

"Holy crap!" he mumbled before giving up and panting as he tried to recover his breath. "How can you throw this beast? With one hand, nonetheless?"

Zabuza didn't reply as he zipped through hand signs. "**Water Style: Spinning Vortex Jutsu!**" he shouted as water circled around him and then shot out, a giant whirlpool flying across the clearing.

Zabuza watched as the whirlpool overshadowed Obito and he couldn't see him anymore. He waited patiently, his instincts telling him that the fight was far from over.

Something shot out of the water like a bullet and Zabuza registered it as Obito. With more hand signs, Zabuza turned the aftermath of his previous jutsu to summon two water dragons.

From his place way up in the sky, Obito saw the two dragons heading straight for him.

"**Fire Style: Flame Dragon Jutsu!**" Obito shouted as he spat three dragons made of fire. The first two collided with two water dragons but they didn't disperse; the fire dragons momentarily stopped the water dragons long enough for Obito to fall back to the ground without being hit.

The last fire dragon headed for Zabuza. He was currently searching for his zanbatō and when he spotted it, he dove for it just as the fire dragon hit the ground where he once stood.

Once Obito's feet touched the ground, he sprinted straight for Zabuza. He jumped and sent a roundhouse kick straight for Zabuza's head but the cloaked man blocked it with his left forearm.

The two then realized that the water dragon was now heading for them so they each used the body-flicker technique just as the two dragons combined and hit the ground with an Earth-shaking impact.

Obito panted as he and Zabuza faced each other again. Zabuza was just as tired as Obito but managed to keep his breathing calm.

Taking in a deep breath, Obito stood straight and relaxed his body. Then, his eyes opened and his demeanor changed.

It wasn't completely noticeable but Zabuza managed to spot it. He changed.

Obito's three tomoe on each eye spun slowly at first before picking up speed; taking in everything that was happening around him. Faster than Zabuza could catch, Obito flashed through seals and he grabbed his right wrist with his left hand.

Zabuza's eyes widened as he saw Obito's chakra begin to become visible and cackle as it came to life.

Obito just smiled.

***.***

Sasuke continued to run down the path Shino pointed to but it had been five minutes since he started running. He was beginning to think that Shino lied to him.

"So, you're the one who I'm going to fight?" the soft voice mused. Sasuke stopped and saw an ice wall begin to form. The reflection of the cloaked figure appeared and Sasuke dropped to his fighting stance.

"I was sort of hoping for the boy with the dog," The person said in a taunting tone. Sasuke scoffed. "Or maybe even the Aburame."

"Neither of them would've been a better opponent than me," Sasuke advised.

"And what of the blond?"

"Even worse than the dog," Sasuke answered and the person nodded in understanding.

"I see," the person then tilted his head up. "Shall we get started?"

Sasuke answered by throwing a kunai at the person but it didn't even touch him from within the ice wall. Deciding to use his head, Sasuke ran through hand signs before taking in his breath.

"**Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!**" he spat out the hottest, largest fireball he could summon and it connected with the ice wall. When the jutsu was over, Sasuke panted with a victorious smirk before it was wiped out of his face.

The ice wall still stood. Some drops of water were sliding down the wall but it soon froze over.

"You managed to make my ice mirror melt a bit. Very impressive," the person declared. Sasuke just scoffed, too proud to find that comment endearing.

"What's your name?" the person asked.

"Sasuke Uchiha. And yours?"

"You can call me Haku," Haku said as he stepped out of the ice mirror.

"I always like to know the name of the opponent whose ass I'm about to kick," Sasuke mocked with his usual arrogant tone. Haku wasn't amused in the least.

With Naruto, he had finally caught up to where his clone had dispersed and was facing the cloak figure who identified himself as Haku.

"Why are you attacking us?" Naruto asked. His body language screamed cautious and Haku chuckled.

"It is our job," he answered, humor coloring his voice.

"Who do you work for?"

"A dangerous man; a man who has a lot of money."

"In other words, you work for that slime Gato?" Naruto asked but because of the mask, Naruto couldn't see if Haku was surprised or not. "Got nothing to say?" he asked but Haku remained silent.

"I see," Naruto hummed to himself, trying to seem calm but at the same time, his mind ran at a thousand thoughts per second. Inari lay next to Haku, unconscious and unharmed. Still, how long would he remain unharmed?

In fact, it could be entirely possible that Haku replaced Inari with a clone and was waiting for Naruto to 'save' him. Thoughts of that nature continued to circle around his mind until he shook his head.

Naruto slammed his hands onto the ground and it began to shake. Haku jumped away just as a dome of dirt enveloped Inari and the Earth swallowed him whole. Not long after, the dome reappeared beside Naruto and opened to reveal Inari in one piece.

"Very nice," Haku complimented.

"Why did you want to separate us?" Naruto asked after making sure Inari was still alive and was the actual Inari and not some fake.

"I wanted to speak with you; you seem to be the only one among the four of you to have his head on his shoulders."

"And what exactly did you want to talk about?" Naruto asked and Haku began to pace back and forth.

"I wanted to make you an offer," Haku said but was interrupted by Naruto.

"'Join or die?" he guessed.

Haku exhaled softly though his nose. "Hardly. I have a certain amount of respect for you but I don't think we'd see eye to eye long enough to make some sort of alliance feasible."

"Ah," Naruto said. "Then you'll probably go to the second cliché offer. Go away and you won't kill me."

"Something like that," Haku said. "My offer is that you and your team – if any member remains alive once Zabuza get through with them – leave now and leave the boy with me," Haku suggested and Naruto raised an eyebrow in morbid amusement. "I promise to escort him home alive. From there, whatever happens to him is out of my hands."

"As tempting as it sounds, I'm gonna have to say no," Naruto answered with a forced smile. Haku chuckled.

"I knew that was going to be your answer. Still, it's refreshing to see a shinobi with unshakeable resolve and values,"

"It's true, they can't be shaken," Naruto said sarcastically and dropped into a fighting stance. "So are we going to fight or what?"

Haku shook his head. "I'm afraid that I am done here. My task is complete. Farewell," Haku said before turning into ice and shattering into many pieces. Naruto's eyes widened.

'_It was a trap… for me?'_ Naruto thought but after musing over it, his eyes narrowed. _'That bastard wanted me busy so he could-'_

He trailed off as he summoned a small army of clones to protect Inari while he dashed back to where he left Shino and Kiba.

***.***

Kiba and Shino panted as they hid behind a tree. Akamaru kept watch, his senses alert for the Demon Brothers.

"What… are we… going… to do?" Kiba asked in between breaths and Shino continued to pant as his mind began to run through scenarios.

A wall of Shino's bug rose and defended the three against the rain of kunai thrown their way. They stood and faced the Demon Brothers again just as they appeared a few meters away from them.

"Why are you delaying the inevitable? Just give up," the brother on the left, Meizu, said. Gōzu laughed wickedly as the two took slow steps towards Shino, Kiba and Akamaru; like predators slowly crawling up to their prey.

Kiba snarled as he ran up to Gōzu and tried to claw his face off. Gōzu sidestepped Kiba and delivered a harsh kick to his stomach. Kiba doubled over in pain before grabbing on to his leg and using his strength to spin and toss Gōzu straight at Akamaru who transformed to look like him.

Akamaru spun and became a living drill, heading straight for Gōzu. Unfortunately, Meizu tossed a chain that wrapped around his brother's ankle. With a thug, Gōzu landed ungracefully by Meizu's side.

He groaned at the pain but still looked up at his brother with a smile. "Thanks brother,"

"Don't let your guard down. They might be brats but they're pretty smart," Meizu warned as Gōzu attached the chain to his gauntlet. He stood and the two prepared themselves.

"Shino!" Kiba shouted and Shino nodded.

"I know," he said as he tossed a small black ball to the floor, releasing smoke that surrounded the two. Just as he did, the Demon Brothers sprinted down the gap and surrounded the smoke. Their chain snagged something so the brothers ran in a circle, trapping their victim in their chain.

When the smoke cleared, Kiba was struggling against his bonds, yelling out curses and promising to deliver pain in ways that would later make the brothers scratch their heads in wonder.

"Let's do this," Gōzu said and his brother nodded. The two shoved their gauntlets holding the chain into the ground and freed their hands from it. With their hands free and Kiba still chained, they both made hand signs and stopped on the ram sign.

"**Hidden Art: Chains of Destruction!**" the brothers said in unison.

"I don't like the sound of that!" Kiba shouted as black spiked chains rose from the ground and encircled Kiba from every angle until he was trapped inside a giant half dome of chains.

"You're probably not going to like what happens next, either," Meizu said with a laugh as the two activated the jutsu. The chains began to move at speeds that would slice Kiba into tiny pieces if he touched it. The dome started to shrink and Kiba yelled out in panic.

Meizu heard a buzzing sound come from under him and when he looked down, he saw bugs crawling up his legs.

"What the f-!" the bugs engulfed him and rose into the air in a sphere of insects. It shrunk in the blink of an eye and then exploded in a shower of bugs. Meizu hit the ground with a harsh _thud_ and lay unmoving on his side.

"Brother!" Gōzu cried out before flinching in pain and pumping more of his chakra into the jutsu since Meizu wasn't helping him. "You're friend is still going to die! You might kill me but he's going down with me!"

At that time, multiple number of kunai rained down on the sphere of chains, embedding themselves into the small openings that each chain provided. For more than ten seconds, kunai after kunai rained down and when it stopped, the sphere wasn't moving at all.

"Damn it!" He cursed and released the jutsu, causing the chains to fall to the ground. A bump could be seen in the center of the chains.

Gōzu panted and ran towards the bump just as Kiba started to crawl out of the chain. He saw Kiba's dog run towards him and begin to spin again, so he dodged the living drill at the last second. He landed a bit farther away from Kiba than he was before but he didn't care. He took a step forward and…

Kiba appeared in front of him, his kunai buried deep in his stomach. Two pairs of eyes widened as blood trickled down Gōzu's leg and began to form a puddle on the ground. Kiba's breath hitched in his throat as his eyes connected with Gōzu's, which were glazing over at this point.

Gōzu fell into a heap on the ground and more blood continued to ooze out of his wound. Kiba stared into nothing before looking down at his bloodstained hand and kunai.

"Is this your first kill?" Kiba spun quickly and spastically as Naruto stood off to the side, his arms crossed over his chest and a neutral expression on his face. Kiba gulped as he stared down at his hands. His body shook with repulsion and horror. Naruto just watched from an objective point of view; had he looked like this when he first killed someone?

"Brother!"

"Hm?" Naruto hummed and watched as Meizu struggled to stand, his eyes glued on his brother, watching his fallen comrade in disbelief and anger. He turned his eyes to Kiba and they acquired a murderous spark in them. He pulled out a kunai and ran towards Kiba in speeds that Kiba wouldn't have been able to follow at the moment.

"Stop," a solemn voice said as Meizu felt steel press against the area over his heart. His eyes widened, his body shook and his breath left him when he finally noticed a teen standing over of him.

He had appeared out of nowhere; one moment Meizu was running towards the soon-to-be-dead dog boy, and the next, this blond teen leaned against him, his blond locks covering his eyes and some sort of sharp-tipped weapon pointing at his heart.

The teen was easily three inches shorter than Meizu but for some reason, Meizu felt like the blond was towering over him as if he was six feet tall. And then it hit him; this teen had managed to get in front of him and position a weapon over a vital organ, all before he could even blink.

Meizu just couldn't grasp the concept of a Genin being faster than he was. Unless, of course, he wasn't a Genin and was actually a Chūnin. But something in his gut told Meizu that he wasn't dealing with a Chūnin; on record, he probably was a Genin but this boy was far stronger than any regular Chūnin or Genin.

He knew when he was beaten though, and this _Genin_ bested him today; a Genin from Konoha, no less.

'_Wait, no, he isn't from Konoha,'_ Meizu thought as he took a glance at the blond's forehead protector. _'Iwa? What the hell?'_

With inhuman grace, the blade in the blond's hand shifted and he raised his hand so the blade touched Meizu's throat.

"Shino, sap his chakra reserves dry," Naruto ordered and though he did do it, Shino took a second to ponder over Naruto's order. Gōzu felt his strength leave him by the second until he could barely keep himself up. He fell to his knees and propped himself up his hands before he hit the ground.

"My brother," the Chūnin cried and Naruto felt some sympathy for him but it was overshadowed by disgust.

"Stop sniveling," Naruto barked harshly and Meizu looked up at him with subdued anger. "He's not dead, you idiot," he said as he used his foot to kick Meizu to his back. Hope poked at Meizu's face while Kiba eyed him as if he was stupid.

"He's dead! I ki… killed him," Kiba stated harshly, his tone biting. Naruto shook his head.

"He's wounded but he's not dead," Naruto told everyone. "Not yet anyway; let him bleed out for another two minutes and then he's dead."

"Bro-!" Meizu tried to stand but stopped when Naruto shifted his ninjato out and had the tip pointing at Meizu's forehead. Meizu only sneered and grabbed Naruto's right wrist to push the ninjato out of his face.

Naruto retaliated by dropping his ninjato, grabbing Meizu's wrist with his right hand and twisting it painfully. He pulled on it and made Meizu fall face first on the ground and then pulled the twisted hand up his back.

"Ack!" Meizu cried as pain shot up his left arm. Naruto grabbed his ninjato with his left hand and swiftly placed it under Meizu's neck.

"You want to bleed out like your brother or do you want to live to save him?"

"I'm afraid that he's not the one making the decision," Naruto, Kiba and Shino looked behind Naruto to see Haku standing on a tree branch while hold an unconscious Uchiha over his shoulder. Haku's form looked somewhat small under the cloak, even more so with Sasuke on his shoulder.

"I'd like my two comrades back, please," Haku pleaded and Naruto stood, releasing Meizu from his painful hold. "If I get them back alive, I promise the safe return of the Uchiha."

"Is there some way you can get these two back _and_ _still_ keep the Uchiha bastard?" Naruto asked only to receive a cough from Shino. Naruto sighed. "Fine, toss the bastard over here,"

Haku lifted Sasuke off his shoulder with one hand and tossed him towards Naruto.

Naruto extended his hands out and watched as Sasuke neared him. At the last second, Naruto took a step to the left, making Sasuke hit the ground. Naruto looked down at the Uchiha, hiding his smile.

"Ah, poor Uchiha," he said and looked back up and for some reason, he felt like Haku was giving him an odd look from under his mask.

"Are you sure you two are on the same side?" Haku asked and Naruto laughed.

"Ask me that again when this mission's over," Naruto said as he watched Meizu limp his way towards Haku who jumped down from the branch. Naruto picked up Gōzu by the waist of his pants and spun before releasing him and letting him fly towards Haku.

Naruto's eyes narrowed and he pumped chakra into the soles of his feet to zip down to Haku just as he caught Gōzu. Naruto pushed Meizu back with his left hand as his right foot was driven into the back of Haku's head.

The masked teen was sent flying into a tree and slid down, unmoving. Gōzu hit the ground without complaint and Meizu cursed as pain paralyzed his body.

Naruto stared at the Demon Brothers, making sure neither was going to get up. Once he felt sure, he turned to Haku who groaned. He began to walk towards him…

Then, the sound of a thousand birds echoed through the forest and Naruto turned his head to the left. Electricity sparked in the distance and Naruto heard clothes rustling.

Haku was gone.

***.***

It was the damnedest thing!

One second, Obito was running towards Zabuza with a Chidori roaring in his hands, and then, in the next, an ice mirror popped out of nowhere in between him and Zabuza.

His Chidori still pierced through the ice mirror and hit Zabuza but the rogue-nin managed to compose himself just in time to jump to the side. It grazed his left flank but the ice mirror managed to fix itself and trap Obito's hand.

Before Obito could break out of the ice mirror, Zabuza and his accomplice were gone.

He looked down at his right wrist; there was a light purple ring where the ice mirror held him down. He tightened his fist and then released it periodically for a few seconds before hearing footsteps. He looked up to see his Genin running to him.

"What happened to-" Obito stopped when Naruto let Sasuke fall to the ground like a bag of potatoes. "Sasuke…?"

"One of Zabuza's lackeys knocked the bastard out," Naruto answered and nodded his head towards Kurenai. "She going to be ok?" As if seeing Kurenai for the first time, Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino ran to her side.

She groaned as she used them to stand and leaned on Kiba to help her stay on her feet.

"I'll be fine," she said and looked at Naruto. "Where's Inari?"

"I told my clones to bring him here," he said and just then, five Narutos came walking behind him with Inari who woke up sometime after he left.

"Anyone hurt?" Kurenai raised an eyebrow at Obito's question; he sweat dropped. "Besides Kurenai-sensei and Sasuke?"

"Scratches here and there," Shino replied and Kiba nodded in agreement. Akamaru groaned before sneezing.

"I'm fine." Everyone gave Naruto an exasperated look. "Well fine, I'll worry about myself then."

"Let's get going before someone else decides to attack us at our weakest," Obito and nodded to Inari who took a second to realize what he meant by the nod. He began to walk in front of the group and lead them into town.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Minato stared up at the Hokage Monument; his eyes lingered on the third head craved into the mountainside. From the top of the head to the tip of the beard; he took in everything.

'_Third Hokage…'_ he hung his head forward and smiled a bit. A lingering wind pass over him from behind and the scent of summer filled Minato's nostrils.

Soft, petite hands slipped into his waist and red strands of hair flew over his shoulders. A single strand tickled his nose and his fought down a sneeze.

"Hey Kushina," he said after making sure he wasn't going to sneeze.

"Minato, are you sure you want me to do this? I don't want to mess this up," she asked and Minato had to turn around to make sure he was talking to Kushina. It might look like her red hair and it might be her voice but it didn't sound like her. She almost never doubted herself and to even think she would, made Minato want to laugh at how ridiculous it sounded.

Yup, it was Kushina; beautiful violet eyes, creamy skin, heart-shaped face and all.

"Do you want to back out of this?" he asked sympathetically but she shook her head.

"It's not that I don't think I can do it; it's not really a hard mission," she paused as she considered her words. "I just want my feelings to get in the way."

Minato chuckled and gave her a long kiss on the lips. Her heart raced and she wouldn't be amazed if he could hear it. "I love you. And besides, Itachi will join you," he noticed her expression and sighed patiently. "I know it isn't going to be easy but you're the one who volunteered to go,"

"I was being noble; I didn't think you'd actually agree," Kushina replied with a pout.

"You want me to contact Jiraiya-sensei to go instead?" he asked with a knowing smile. Kushina replied to his smile with a scowl.

"And let the old perv influence my pupil? No thanks," she said stubbornly, only to receive a strong hug from Minato.

"Be strong, come back home safely with Itachi, and don't be a hero if things go south," Minato said and Kushina could hear the worry etched in his voice. She hugged him back and smiled.

"You're not going to get rid of me that easily," Minato laughed into Kushina's hair as her scent filled his nose.

"How sweet," a voice said in mock-excitement. The two looked up to see the lazy scarecrow eye-smiling at them while his real smile hid under his mask. He wore a typical Jōnin outfit; complete with Jōnin vest with blue pants and shirt. The only thing that stood out from the Jōnin was his gravity-defying gray hair. At the moment, by the way he stood and carried himself, Minato could almost swear he was staring at a sixteen year old Kakashi.

"You're late," Kushina scolded in a scowl and Kakashi rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well, I ran into an old friend and we just got lost in memories," Kakashi excused lamely, earning a nervous laugh from Minato and a deeper from Kushina. Then she turned her to a glare and redirected it to Minato.

"Why do you allow your student to arrive so late? Aren't you his teacher? Teach him to arrive on time!" Kushina criticized and Minato's laugh became louder as he shot Kakashi an 'I'll-get-you-for-this-later' stare. Kakashi just shrugged his shoulders.

"I love you?" Minato replied and Kushina just shook her head. She gave him a quick peck on the lips before walking over to her student who hung under the shadow of a nearby tree. Minato turned to Kakashi who suddenly looked like he was older than he actually was.

"What's wrong?" Minato asked and when he met Kakashi's eyes, he saw his black eyes stare back wearily.

"Late night visit from a friend," he answered jadedly. Minato had no idea what he meant by that but he had a feeling he didn't want to know.

"You up for this?" Minato said as he turned, facing the Village gate. Kakashi yawned behind him and stretched his body.

"Yeah, just give me a few seconds," he said as he began to stretch his arms and legs. Afterwards, he stared at Minato and his youth seemed to return to his stance and face. Speaking of youth…

"Good morning, fearless leader of the Leaf and Kakashi!" a man shouted as he walked up to the two men. Minato smiled with a sweat drop while Kakashi looked at the sky. "May Youth fill your lungs with air and your heart with bravery while out of our splendid village," Guy declared as he hugged each man.

"Thank you, Guy," Minato said and Kakashi blinked at him, as if finally noticing the man.

"Guy? When did you get here?" Kakashi asked coolly and Guy stared at Kakashi in shock before crying hysterically.

"KAKASHI!" he cried as he ran off, "WHY WON'T YOU TEACH ME YOUR WAYS OF COOL!"

Kakashi blinked and shifted his gaze to his sensei. "What happened?" he asked and Minato laughed.

"Guy came along to wish you luck," he answered and Kakashi looked back to Guy's retreating form.

"Did he now?"

"Come on, let's get going," Minato said and walked over to Kushina as she talked animatedly to Itachi who seemed less than interested. Kushina stopped her current conversation to give her attention to Minato as he stood in front of her,

"You guys finish putting on your make-up?" she teased and Minato laughed and hugged her. Kakashi just looked to the side and stared at nothing.

"Love you," Minato said and Kushina giggled.

"Love you too," she said before releasing him and motioning Itachi to follow her. Minato looked at Kakashi and the two walked behind Itachi and Kushina.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to send her to Kumo with just Itachi?" Kakashi asked in a hushed whisper. "He's a good shinobi and all but sending the two to an enemy village filled with shinobi?"

Minato's eyes never left Kushina as soon as they landed on her again. "She'll come back and so will he; I'll guarantee it."

Kakashi eyed Minato oddly before nodding and going back to his thoughts.

"You ready to meet with the Tsuchikage?" Minato asked and Kakashi smirked.

"I still don't know why you chose me," Kakashi stated, stuffing his hands into his pocket. "Lord Jiraiya is a hell of a lot stronger than I am,"

"He's staying here to look over the village for me; you know, just in case anything goes wrong,"

"Is he?" Kakashi asked, hiding his surprise pretty well but Minato knew him and his mannerisms.

"It'll be fine, Kakashi; the village will be the same when we return," Minato looked back at his village and an image of buildings on fire flashed in his head.

"How can you be sure?" Kakashi interrogated, seeing the look in his eye. Minato sighed and turned back to face the path.

"I got someone watching over him," he answered and Kakashi blinked as he stopped.

"Who?"

Jiraiya grumbled and glowered as he put his signature on a couple of paperwork. If Minato didn't have his speed, stealth and Hiraishin, his ass would be sitting on the chair instead of Jiraiya's.

His eyes scanned the dark corners of the room, knowing that one of them hid his tormentor. While the mask hid her face, her long, dark purple hair betrayed her.

The purple-haired demon was waiting for him to slipup, to have an excuse to extract her 'justice for women everywhere' or so she declared to him when he first 'slipped up'. Jiraiya wanted to laugh loudly at her –though not really since she had very, _very_ good accuracy with her senbon needles.

He will not _'slipup'_ like she thinks he will. He will prove to her that he can be very civil and act the way he's supposed to while Minato was off dealing with business…

He almost laughed this time; even he had to admit, there was no way in hell he'd pull that off. Still, he had to be strong to at least show her that he could last long without being perverted. Then maybe she could thank him… the naughty way…

Jiraiya almost jumped off his skin when a senbon needles struck the chair just in front of his, what he and other women – so he said – liked to call, Jumbo-J.

Sweat crawled down his forehead as he looked at the corner from where the needles came from.

"Get back to work, Lord Jiraiya," a soft yet harsh voice demanded from the shadows. Jiraiya's sweat increased by ten-fold as he signed his name through ten pairs of paperwork in two seconds.

In the shadows, an ANBU with a cat mask smiled underneath it and took pictures.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Naruto glowered at everyone walking in front of him. No one would talk to him; no one would even look at him. At least Sasuke had an excuse; he was unconscious!

Strike that, Obito would look at him and occasionally try to strike a conversation but for some reason, Naruto never really talked back. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk; he just had nothing to say.

Still, everyone could at least _try_ to be nice to him.

And the boy, Inari, he forgot to mention that Gatō had hired S-rank missing-nin along with the thousands of thugs. Naruto felt like the boy deserved to get hit over his head or something.

That is, until he finally laid eyes on inari's home.

The place was a ruin; there were no windows or doors and there were patches of paint missing from the walls. The house looked like a soft breeze could make it fall down on itself. Instead of doors or windows, there were just pieces of cloth that managed to keep the sun from entering.

Inari ran inside, leaving the Konoha team plus one Iwa-nin outside as he called for his mother. He stopped short when his mother stepped from behind the cloth and covered her eyes from the sun. She looked around until her eyes landed on Inari. Her eyes widened as she hugged her sun and cried into his left shoulder.

"Inari!" she cried and he cried into her shoulder as well.

"Mom," the Konoha team and Naruto watched, feeling sympathy for the two. Well, Sasuke really didn't care for the scene but he'd be lying if he said it didn't affect him in the slightest.

Inari's mother looked up and scowled at the intruders.

"What were you doing with my son?" she asked harshly, throwing everyone through a loop. "I already paid Gatō for child support."

"No, mom," Inari said as he turned his head to the group. "They're here to help,"

His mother blinked before shaking her head with a sad smile. "I don't know what my child told you but we can't afford your help," she said and Inari frowned a t her.

Obito stepped in front of his group and smiled good-naturedly at her. "Its fine, we've still agreed to help," he assured her before donning a serious expression. "I cannot stand by and do nothing while a monster like Gatō is sapping your country dry of it economy and resources."

Inari's mother stared at him suspiciously before eyeing his team with the same expression. She met his eyes again and it softened as they stared at each other a while longer. She averted her eyes, a slight blush gracing her cheeks, as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

She stood and led the team inside. Obito looked around her home once he entered it and took in everything. Aside from the living room sofa and dining room table, there was nothing in the house; no paintings, decorations, pots, vases, flowers, nothing. The walls looked dirty and some of them looked like some of the paint was peeled off.

"I'm sorry it's not exactly the best home ever but," Inari's mother said, seeing the looks on everyone's faces. Obito blushed and smiled sheepishly.

"You've obviously never seen my home," Obito joked but she didn't seemed as amused. He cleared his throat.

"Make yourselves at home," she said as she walked off with her son following behind her. Obito faced his team and smiled.

"You heard her; go find yourselves a room and make it your own," he saw Kurenai's team immediately lump together, eyeing the Uchiha with disdain but would bunk with him nonetheless.

"Naruto," said boy looked up at Obito, "you're bunking with me."

To Obito's surprise, Naruto nodded and walked off to the stairs. Obito looked at Kurenai, who raised an eyebrow at him, and shrugged his shoulders.

"What can I say? I'm very persuasive," he said playfully and Kurenai shook her head with a smile. Everyone went into a room and began to relax – except Obito, who sent a message back to Konoha to send that second team with the construction workers, making sure to emphasize their necessity. Each member of the team went to sleep early – except for Sasuke who was already 'sleeping'.

In the morning, they'd look around the town to see how much damage the monster of a man Gatō had caused.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed it...**

**And again, I'm sorry...**

**But, I'm not sorry for defending my story, just the way i did it...**

**I want that to be clear...**

**Peace!**


	16. Confrontations

**Yo, what's up?**

**Sorry about being gone for a long while...**

**Well, a lot of stuff's been going down in my life, all at the same time, all life shaking... I won't bore anyone with the details but I feel that I should tell all of you that I might take a break from writing for a while...**

**It's not like I want to but I'm being attacked from all sides and barely find time to even read, let alone write...**

**SO many ideas bouncing in my head but no way to let them out, it's very irritating... So, I'm going to stop thinking about them for a good while, so I can concentrate on everything going on around me...**

**I'd like to take this time to thank everyone who's been with me since the very beginning of this story and/or since I've joined Fanfiction... I appreciate all the support I've been given and I'm so glad I joined the fanfiction family; specifically, the Naruhina fanclub this place has haha...**

**Sorry, but this will be the last chapter I'll update for now...**

**Chapter 15: Confrontations...**

**I don't own anything... BTW, not proof-read...**

* * *

Many things ran through Naruto's head as he walked out of the room he shared with Obito. He mostly thought about the boy he ran into the day before.

He was powerful; Naruto could sense that. Not only that, Naruto got the feeling that he was the brains of the team – excluding Zabuza but he guessed that Zabuza rarely gave a damn about what was planned; he just went where blood would be shed.

Naruto seriously wondered who would win in a fair fight. After a moment's hesitation, he just shrugged his shoulders and decided to wait until he fought the masked ice user. It wouldn't be productive to just wonder about silly stuff like that.

Then, he wondered about what he was going to do about the Trial. Obviously, he could run away now and he probably wouldn't have to worry about Konoha until it was too late. Naruto doubted they would do anything about it; bunch of tree-hugging pansies.

And yet, Naruto couldn't just go back on his word. Sure, he didn't really like Konoha all that much but he just couldn't go back on his word; it wasn't his way.

His azure eyes turned hard as his resolve to finish the Trial increased. Before he knew it, he found himself standing outside of Inari's house and heading for town. Considering inari's home and what was said about the Land of Waves, Naruto inhaled deeply and prepared for the worst as he walked forward.

Back in the room, Obito yawned and stretched, woken up by Naruto. He jumped to his feet and stretched his back before scratching his back and heading for the bathroom. He stepped out of his room's threshold, trying to remember where the bathroom was.

He smacked his lips, livening up the hallway with sound as he looked left and right before shrugging his shoulders and opening the door on the left side of the hallway. Thanks to whichever deity was watching over him that morning, Obito had opened the door to the bathroom and he quickly closed the door behind him.

He noticed that the bathroom had a sink to the left and a shower to the right. It was a moderately big bathroom but he wouldn't call it huge. But he didn't care how big it was, so long as it had a toilet and just beyond the sink, there it was!

He let out a heavy sigh as he released his contents into the toilet. There was a window beside his head and he looked out to see the morning sun just starting to rise. He was surprised to see how beautifully the red-orange sun painted the forest with different hues and shades. What surprised him even more was seeing Inari's mother out and about, putting clothes up to dry on the clothesline.

Obito stared at her long blue hair and noticed the love and dedication burning in her onyx eyes. Her body wasn't too bad, either. His cheeks exploded with color as he watched the woman work so elegantly and diligently. Eventually, an image of Rin appeared in his head and he looked away, sadden and guilt-ridden. How could he so much as stare at a woman just as he had after what happened to Rin? He flushed the toilet and began to strip down, thinking that a shower would help him cool down.

He enjoyed the feeling of warm water falling on his body, cleansing him of his grime and even his guilt, if only for a few minutes. He took in a deep breath before continuing to clean himself with soap. While he did, more thoughts of Rin plagued his mind and before he could stop it, the bar of soap slipped out of his fists and flew out of the tub and to the floor.

He blinked at it and after some consideration; he decided that he was clean enough. He turned off the shower and he ran his hand through his hair. Then, it suddenly hit him; he had no towel to dry his body off.

He cupped his face with his hands as he groaned at his own stupidity and forgetfulness. He pushed the shower curtains to the left and took a look around the room; hopefully, he'd find something that could help him dry his body, if only a little. The only thing that could help him now was his shirt. So he slowly climbed out of the tub and took a cautious step toward the article of clothing sitting across the room.

His second foot stepped on the bar of soap and he would've fallen but he managed to catch himself before he did. The soap slid across the room and close to the door. He let out a sigh of relief before grabbing his shirt and immediately drying his hair.

In that exact moment, the door opened and Obito frozen, wondering if he heard what he just heard. He looked from under the shirt to see Inari's mother walking into the bathroom with her back turned to him. She turned, a small smile on her face before her eyes locked onto Obito's naked body.

Her eyes took in every detail of Obito's body; in fact, they lingered a bit at his waist before they looked up into his eyes. For a moment, nothing existed but them; not the mission, not the basket of towels she held in her arms and certainly not the awkwardness that was sure to come in a minute. To the two, it felt as if they stood face to face, both as naked as the day they were born and no awkward emotion was felt. It was a beautiful moment where two hearts synced for just a moment and became one.

Unfortunately, for the both of them, Inari's mother was in mid-stride so when she took the next step, it was on the soap. So, she slid forward, dropping the basket of towels, and bumping into Obito, knocking him down with her landing on top of him. The two just stared into each other's eyes for a moment longer, blushes staining both their cheeks. It wasn't longer before Inari's mother stood and slowly exited the room and closing the door behind her.

Obito stayed on the floor, arguing with himself whether or not that actually happened. The throbbing pain he felt in the back of his head was a good enough answer. Before long, he stood up, grabbed one of the fallen towels and dried his body off.

He wrapped a towel over his waist and grabbed all his clothes with his left hand. He exited the bathroom and quickly ran into his room. It didn't take him long to dress and he was out of the room just as quickly as he entered.

The steps leading to the first floor were loud and creaky, leaving no room for stealth. He heard footsteps down in the kitchen and wondered if it was Naruto or Inari's mother; he hoped for the former.

Of course, though, it was the latter, keeping herself busy by cooking and cleaning simultaneously. She looked up for a second to see who was coming down the stairs, only to blush and continue to cook and clean.

"S-Sorry about earlier," she stuttered her apology and Obito laughed sheepishly, standing just outside the kitchen.

"It's ok," he said before blinked at his answer. Was it really ok?

"Are you hungry?" she asked and Obito nodded.

"Yup," he declared energetically.

"My name is Tsunami, by the way," she said, taking a pause in her cooking to give him a side glance and a smile. He returned the smile and pointed a thumb at his chest.

"Obito Uchiha, Konoha Jōnin at your service," he greeted and her smile widened. As she resumed her cooking, Obito moved to sit on a chair near the table. "So, what're you doing up so early? If you don't mind me asking," he asked before hurriedly adding the last part.

"Chores; I usually get up this early to get them done. And you?" she asked and Obito shrugged.

"I normally wake up at this time."

"Shinobi training?"

"Something like that," he answered as he rubbed the back of his head, feeling a bump forming. She turned and held a plate full of food as she walked over to him. She placed the plate of food in front of him and smiled, handing him a fork.

"I hope you like it," she said and Obito smiled at her.

"Thanks," he said and grabbed the fork as she took a seat beside him. He struggled to decide whether to start with the eggs, bacon or rice. In the end, he went with the bacon. As soon as the bacon touched his tongue, his eyes hot open and he looked at Tsunami.

"Is it bad? I'm sorry," she apologized but before she could say anything, a smile appeared on Obito's lips.

"This is amazing," he declared happily before taking another bite from the bacon and moving on to the eggs. In record time, his plate was empty and Obito was drinking a cup of milk that Tsunami got for him when he asked for it.

"Was it really that great?" she asked timidly and Obito nodded enthusiastically. She blushed. "Thank you,"

"No, thank you," he said happily. "I haven't had a good meal like that since…" he trailed off, frowning as another memory of Rin flashed in his head. Seeing his expression change, Tsunami decided to change the subject.

"Do you really think you can help us?" she asked and Obito blinked at her, as if he hadn't noticed her presence, before nodding.

"Of course," he said confidently as he smiled. "We'll bring the Land of Waves back to its former glory, maybe even better than it was before."

Tsunami fought back a tear but smiled nonetheless. "Thank you,"

Obito gulped, not really sure what got into him as he began to speak. "So, uh, where's your husband?" he asked. He wasn't sure why, but asking the question made him a little uneasy. He could see that she felt the same and he immediately regretted it.

"He's… he's dead," she answered and Obito stared at her sadly.

"I'm so sorry,"

"It's ok," she said, fighting back the tears and failing miserably. "It happened so many years ago so I've gotten used to saying it."

"Was it because of Gatō?" Obito asked, mentally cursing himself for talking about such a touchy subject. Tsunami seemed to notice this from his expression and let out a small chuckle.

"It's ok, I can talk about it," she said before taking in a breath and pausing. Obito didn't rush her; he knew she'd talk when she was good and ready.

"Inari's first father was a lowlife; a good for nothing bum who used me to get what he wanted," she started explaining. She paused, expecting Obito to ask about the 'first father' part. When he remained quiet, she continued. "I haven't seen him since the night I gave birth to Inari and honestly, I don't want to see him anymore.

"Inari's second father was a man named Kaiza that came into his life when a bunch of bullies sent him into the ocean," the only reaction Tsunami saw from Obito was his eyebrows slightly rising. "He saved my boy from dying so of course, I thanked him by making him dinner. He became such a prominent father-figure in Inari's life that I welcomed him into my home. I didn't expect to fall in love with him, though.

"Days went by and eventually, we wed and Inari finally had a real father. Even my father loved Kaiza, as if he was his own son," Tsunami paused, her words getting stuck in her throat.

"What happened to him?" Obito asked, encouraging her to continue. She looked up and him and wiped her eyes with her right arm.

"Gatō came and did what he does best; lie, cheat, steal and kill," her words came out cold and harsh but Obito said nothing about it. "Kaiza stood up to him and his oppressing rule, which upset Gatō very much. So… he made an example of him and… and killed him in front of the entire town." Tsunami broke down and Obito reached out to hug her. She cried into his chest and clenched his shirt in her fists.

"It's ok, you can let it all out," he assured her, causing her to cry a bit harder.

"It's been four years! I thought I moved on! How can it still affect me this badly?" she asked Obito. Obito felt like he was back in his apartment in Konoha, staring into a mirror and asking the mirror him the same thing she said just as he always did whenever memories of Rin became too vivid and too much to handle.

So, he gave her the answer he always gave himself.

"I'm not sure."

Obito let her cry in his chest, rubbing her back and whispering nothing but reassurances to her. She felt so small, so weak in his arms. Obito held on to her as if she'd break if he let go. Before long, she composed herself and was out of Obito's comforting arms.

"I'm sorry," she said as she wiped away the last tear. She laughed mirthlessly. "I usually don't cry into a stranger's chest like that. I try to get to know them first,"

"It's ok, I usually don't let beautiful women cry in my chest, either, but you're the first exception," he replied with a kind smile. She returned the smile with one of her own and even giggled. "If you don't mind me asking…"

"Yes?"

"You said your father loved him like a son right?" he asked and she nodded. "What happened to him?"

"He's dead, too. He died because he wanted to build a bridge that would've helped the Land of Waves prosper and get out from under Gatō's thumb," Tsunami answered sadly and Obito just stared at her. She's lost so much, he could see that. The only thing of importance she had left was her son.

"I see," Obito said.

"I hate that man," Tsunami said, his voice becoming colder yet passionate. "He's taken a lot from me and my family."

"He's taken a lot from a lot of people," Obito and Tsunami looked to the left to see Kurenai standing at the threshold, rubbing her left arm with her right hand.

"Kurenai, you shouldn't be up," Obito said seriously, his eyes showing none of his usual carelessness and happiness.

"I couldn't help it, what with all the ruckus I heard earlier. What happened?" she asked and Tsunami and Obito blushed and looked away. Kurenai raised her left eyebrow but said nothing as she sat down near the two.

"I'll go make you some breakfast," Tsunami said as she stood to make Kurenai breakfast. Obito didn't notice at first but he was holding on to Tsunami's hands but now that she left, he couldn't help but feel how cold they suddenly became. He watched her move around the kitchen, just as she had minutes beforehand.

"How do you feel, Kurenai?" Obito asked her, his eyes remaining on Tsunami.

"Aside from the puncture wound, pretty dandy," she answered sarcastically as her hands moved to apply pressure on her wound. With Tsunami's and Obito's help the night before, the wound was disinfected and patched up.

"The others still asleep?" he asked.

"Sasuke woke up and headed into the forest. I could feel his chakra signature pulsing every once in a while.

"Shino and Kiba?"

"Upstairs," Kurenai paused before nodding her head, "both asleep. Where is Naruto?"

"Not sure, if you can sense him nearby, chances are he headed into town," a second after he said that, the two Jōnin heard dishes clatter. They looked up to see Tsunami staring at them as if they said they were going to kill her.

"He can't be in town," she stated ominously.

"What do you mean?" Kurenai asked and Tsunami shook her head.

"If Gatō's men see him…" she paused to bit her bottom lip.

"What's going on?" Obito said as he stood. He wouldn't be able to even be in the same presence of his sensei if something happened to Naruto while he was in charge.

"We need to get him back here before someone sees him."

Kurenai and Obito looked at each other before nodding and Obito left the room.

"Wait! You can't leave either," she warned. Obito stopped and turned.

"I have to go get him," he said and left before Tsunami said anything else.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Naruto had no idea what to think.

He lived in Iwa his whole life and even though it wasn't exactly a utopia, it wasn't exactly a hellhole. In fact, economically speaking, Iwa was doing better than most of Five Great Shinobi Nations. Add the fact that he lived with the Tsuchikage; he was just a bit short of living like a prince.

True, the villagers didn't exactly treat him like a prince but Naruto knew he'd get their respect if he worked hard and became the Tsuchikage. He just had to wait.

Regardless, even though he's only left Iwa a handful of times before, he had never seen a place like the Land of Waves.

The buildings looked like even a gentle breeze could make them fall to ruins. It seemed like no building or house had ever heard of a door or windows.

Naruto blinked and looked around as he stuck his head into what looked like a grocery store. Only a fourth of the shelves in the store contained edible items – none of them looking ripe or exactly safe to eat – not including the crumbs littering the floor and shelves. What's more, there was no one attending the store!

With a sigh, Naruto continued to tour the entire town. He didn't see much of the townspeople; he occasionally saw some sticking their heads out of their windows to give Naruto suspicious glares or sad looks.

Someone even tried to push Naruto into a shaded alley. Someone ran up to Naruto and pushed him; Naruto would've avoided the sudden attack but when he saw who was charging at him, he didn't know how to react. He took a step back and felt something laying down beside him, meant to make him fall but Naruto was faster to react as he caught his footing and back flipped away. He looked up to see two young kids staring at him in fearful awe. Naruto slowly removed his hand from his pouch and stood, taking in the kids' appearance.

Both were average height for an eight year old with brown hair that contained dirt and were rustled and messy. The boy on the left had a rugged black shirt and shorts. His companion, a girl with longer hair, had a red shirt but had black shorts as well.

"What?" Naruto asked. His words seemed to snap the kids out of their stupor and they adopted a sour look on their faces.

"G-Give… Give us all your money," the boy on the left said, his body shaking as he held up a rusty knife. Naruto's left eyebrow rose as the girl on the right scolded her friend for sounding weak.

"Is that what you want from me? Money?" Naruto asked curiously as he began to walk towards the two. This sudden action seemed to set the two off as they each gained a nervous expression and the boy holding the oxidized weapon began to shake more furiously.

"St-Stay back!" the boy uttered with fear but Naruto just tilted his head to the left.

"Or what?" The kids' eyes widened in fear as Naruto stopped in front of the boy wielding the knife. Naruto's right hand shot up and gripped the wrist holding the knife and the two gasped in fright. The boy on the left was so frightened that he dropped the knife.

"You dropped your knife," Naruto said as he released the boy's wrist and picked up the knife. He examined it quickly before tossing it to the side, the sound of the clattering knife echoing through the alley. Reaching for a kunai in his pouch, he handed it to the boy. "Now try it again, but more forceful."

"Give… Give us all your money!" the boy demanded, a bit louder but didn't have the emotion to back it up. Naruto shook his head in disappointment. The boy scowled and thrust the kunai straight for Naruto's stomach.

In the blink of an eye, the boy was shoved flat on his back, staring at the sky with confused purple eyes. After a second to compose himself, the boy looked up at Naruto. His friend growled and charged for Naruto, planning on tackling him. Naruto sidestepped the girl and grabbed her right wrist. He bent the arm back and high, sending pain up her arm. With a shove, the girl was sent sprawling next to her friend.

Naruto spun the kunai he took from the boy in his hand before handing it to the boy again as he stood. "Hold it tight."

The boy looked up in shock before gulping and gripping the handle of the kunai tightly. Naruto then slid his right leg forward and collided with the boy's left leg, moving it back. The boy freaked out and almost stabbed Naruto in the stomach but Naruto held his wrist with his left hand.

His right hand went to the boy's left shoulder and pushed him back a bit. "Now, bend your legs a bit." The boy blinked and looked at his friend for help. His friend just shrugged her shoulders. The boy looked back at Naruto, staring at his face before complying.

Naruto took a step back to take in the boy's form before nodding. "Better," he said before pocketing his left hand, only to take out a handful of money. He tossed it at the boy's feet and walked by him.

Naruto didn't look back, even when he heard footsteps. He did stop though, as the boy and girl ran in front of him and panted. They both looked up at Naruto, their eyes hard before warming over. Then, they did something that surprised Naruto; they bowed.

They straightened up and Naruto saw the boy forcing himself to swallow his tears. The girl just smiled sweetly before looking at her friend. Her smiled disappeared as she punched the boy's shoulder.

"Don't be a sissy," she scolded as the two began to walk away. Naruto just watched them in morbid fascination before smiling and shaking his head. He had no idea what to make of what just happened so he just stuck to shoving his hands into his pockets and continue his tour of the town.

Aside from bumping into the kids, nothing else happened. The town was as quiet as a church mouse and was as active as a cemetery. The only thing Naruto did find odd was that there were big, burly men occasionally following him. They all wore suits; and not just any kinds of suits, the kind only really rich men could afford.

In fact, looking back on it, there were big burly men when he first entered the town, too. Not to mention, the feeling of being followed never left him since leaving the house.

Speaking of the devils, Naruto saw two men standing a block away from him, arms crossed over their chests and sunglasses and scowls on their faces. He could feel three men walk behind him as well, walking a bit faster than normal to catch up to him.

Naruto stopped walking and waited for the men behind him to catch up to him. He could almost feel their mal-intentions just like anyone could feel heat from a fire. So, he decided to wait it out and face them head on. As if getting a signal from his inaction, the men a block away began to walk towards Naruto.

A vague impression hit Naruto just a split-second before he felt something grip his right hand and drag him to the nearest alley. He almost jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand – yes, a hand! – pulling on his arm but saw nothing at all!

'_This town has ghosts?'_ Naruto thought with blood-chilling fear. Naruto could stand in front of a giant monkey-demon with fire being thrown at him every once in a while without batting an eye. He could even stand up against the old man's dust-style jutsus without a second thought. But mention anything vaguely similar to a ghost and Naruto wanted nothing to do with it.

Naruto freed his arm and suddenly, he could feel something standing in front of him, looking at him. He blinked as the entity pulled on his arm again before letting him go. Naruto could faintly hear footsteps running down the alley and Naruto looked around. He could hear the men behind him start to run and for some reason, Naruto felt like he had to follow the direction the entity was telling him to go.

He ran down the alley; following the entity as it lead Naruto out of the alley. It tilted things over and knocked a few rocks or dirt around, to let Naruto know where he was and where he wanted him to go. Even though it was helping him, Naruto was still mentally freaking out. Had to be ghost, of all things…

Finally, Naruto reached the end of the alley; incidentally, a dead end.

'_Stupid ghost…' _he thought with a sweat drop. _'Stupid me for believing that a ghost was actually helping me,'_ he continued to think until he blinked at sensing something using chakra. He looked around, looking for a reasonable explanation for all of this but saw none. The only thing he did see was the wall to a building being slid to the side, showing Naruto a small doorway.

He was pushed into the building through the secret entrance and within a minute, it was shut again. Naruto looked at the wall, seeing a latch keeping the entrance locked.

Naruto just blinked and felt the entity begin to leave through the front entrance. If the entity was going where Naruto thought he was going, Naruto knew exactly who the entity was.

Thank goodness it's not a real ghost.

***.***

Back in the alley, the five men searched the entire alley, looking for any hole or hiding place but there were very few and far in between.

Finally, one man with a buzz-cut blond hair reached for the radio in his pocket. He pressed a button and a second later, a sharp static was heard.

"_What is it?_" a voice asked harshly.

"We lost him, boss," the man said emotionlessly. He waited patiently before he heard another sharp static from the radio.

"_Get back to your positio__ns,_" the voice ordered and the five men walked out of the alley.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Hinata sat near the koi pond in her backyard. Her arm still hung by the sling and her eyes were glued on it. She wished to rid herself of the damned injury, to be out on missions and bond with her team like she had before.

Now, her team was out with Naruto in the Land of Waves and she couldn't help but worry. She had heard rumors of how badly the Land of Waves's economy was and who was the reason for it.

They were only rumors, though, so who knew how factual the rumors were. She just hoped everyone returned safe and sound.

"Hey Hinata," Hinata was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of her closest friend.

"Good morning Ino," Hinata said and Ino smiled as she sat beside Hinata.

"So, I heard your team was out on a mission," she said and Hinata had to smile. Ino was, what she liked to call her, the Queen of Gossip and no news was too big or too small for her. She knew everything there was to know about anything going on in Konoha.

"Yes, they left yesterday."

"I also heard your _boyfriend_ left with them," Ino said, putting emphasis on 'boyfriend'. Hinata blushed and looked at her arm.

"I-I wouldn't say he's my b-boyfriend," she said and when she looked back up at Ino, Hinata saw her staring at her with amused disbelief.

"You haven't stuttered in over two years! Wow, he must really be special," Hinata's blush darkened and she looked into the koi pond.

"We're just friends," Hinata said and Ino giggled.

"Mind if I take a shot at him, then?" Hinata's head shot up and she gave Ino a calculating stare. Ino laughed loudly as she held her hands up in defense. "I'm joking, I'm joking. See? You like him more than just a friend,"

"I never said I didn't like him," she said offhandedly and Ino laughed again.

"I'm glad to see you moved on from the Uchiha," Ino commented and Hinata groaned.

"You just can't let it go,"

"I'm just saying, you once told me you didn't like him that and-"

"Things change, feelings aren't an exception," Hinata said and Ino saw that Hinata didn't want to talk about it. She respected her wishes and looked up at the sky.

"You think he'll pass his trials?" Ino asked. Hinata stared into the reflection of the sky in the pond and couldn't stop a smile from appearing on her lips.

"I don't think he'd give up until he passed."

Ino saw the smile on her face and her own smile was as inevitable as the rising sun.

"I came here to ask if you wanted to come with me and my team to get some breakfast," Ino asked and Hinata hummed to herself. Then, she blinked and looked at Ino.

"I'm sorry, Ino, did you say something?" Hinata asked and Ino giggled. She stood and extended her right hand to her.

"Come on, I'm hungry and Chōji isn't going to wait for me to ask again," Hinata smile and took Ino's hand. She stood and accompanied Ino as they left the Hyūga compound.

Unknown to the two, they were being observed by an ANBU hiding in the tree before disappearing from his place.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Naruto found Obito and the rest of his team walking out of the Inari's home. He blinked but smiled and waved at him.

"You made it just in time," Obito shouted and Kurenai crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a stoic expression.

"Where were you?" she asked and Naruto felt like scoffing. Since when did he have to report every action he took to a Konoha Jōnin…?

'_Stupid trial…'_

"Went sightseeing," he answered and pocketed his hands.

"Let me or Obito-sensei know what you're going to do next time," she said and walked off with Kiba, Shino and Sasuke following after her.

"Come on," Obito tossed an arm over Naruto's shoulders as he somewhat dragged him. Naruto groaned as he reluctantly followed after the Konoha nin.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked Obito with his monotonous tone.

"Training. We need to kill time while we wait for our back-up and the constructions workers. You in?" Obito asked nonchalantly with an inviting smile. Still, Naruto remained stoic and nodded noncommittally. He and Obito arrived to a clearing where the trees were about fifty to sixty feet tall. Naruto examined the trees in silent awe. What big trees this place had…

"So what's first Kurenai-sensei?" Obito asked enthusiastically, as if he was Genin himself. Kurenai raised an eyebrow at him but decided against chiding him. Though, he was a Jōnin for God's sake, he could at least _pretend_ to act like one.

"Today, we'll practice how to fight against a Genjutsu user and a Taijutsu/Ninjutsu specialist," Kurenai informed the group but paused before continuing. "Not so much as fight but defend against such a situation."

"How are we doing this?" Kiba asked, his excitement showing in his body language and eyes. Akamaru barked, sharing his partner's eagerness. Sasuke just kept to himself, pretty much up for anything. His eyes, however, kept moving from Kurenai to Naruto, a sour look appearing every so often.

Naruto saw this and grinned, he guessed someone told the Uchiha bastard what happened; Uchiha bastard zero, awesome soon-to-be-Tsuchikage Naruto one.

"We'll do this in pairs so pick one person to be your partner and let's start this," Obito said with a grin plastered on his face as he walked to stand beside Kurenai. Naruto hung on the sides, watching and Shino and Kiba nodded at each other. Sasuke and Naruto momentarily made eye contact before they looked away in a huff.

"Guess that leaves you two," Kurenai said, saying it in a way that left no room for argument.

"He'd only slow me down," the two said simultaneously. Obito laughed at the unintentional sync.

"With timing like that, I'm sure you two would make good partners," he said, oblivious of how badly Naruto and Sasuke reacted to each other. Cats and dogs were more civil towards each other. Naruto and Sasuke just glared at each other and waited as Kiba and Shino were first up.

Leaning against a tree, away from the training about to take place, Naruto gave Sasuke an onceover. Lean and tall, Sasuke looked like anything but a push-over… for a Genin, anyway. The scars littering his exposed skin showed his dedication to becoming stronger; something Naruto could appreciate. He found his hair odd solely because it reminded him of a duck's rear-end but to each his own, Naruto supposed.

Still, general respect for him aside, he wasn't much more than a spoiled princess with an attitude problem. Add to the fact that he had his sights set on Hinata, and Sasuke was public enemy number one in Naruto's book. He'd never mention it out loud but that didn't change much.

"What?" Sasuke's voice broke Naruto out of his thoughts and he saw the Uchiha glaring at him. He kept his cool and returned Sasuke's glare with a passive look.

"What what?" Naruto replied back with a question of his own and sasuke's glare intensified a bit.

"What are you looking at, dobe?" Sasuke explained, causing Naruto to raise an eyebrow in amusement.

'_Dobe, eh?__'_ Naruto thought but kept a smile from appearing on his lips. Instead, he just stared at Sasuke, no emotion sparking in his eyes or shown in his body language. On any other day, Sasuke would ignore the fool bothering him and never give him the time of day. But it annoyed him that Naruto didn't reply back to his question or his insult and just stood there staring at him.

"Say something," Sasuke demanded in hushed anger but Naruto continued to give him the silent treatment. At this, Sasuke felt like burning him to death. And as if seeing Sasuke thinking that he couldn't get more annoying, Naruto smiled. Nothing annoyed the enemy more than a smiling idiot.

"What the hell are you smiling at?" Sasuke asked, his fury growing like a burning flame. Naruto stuck his tongue out at the Uchiha, surprising him and infuriating him all the more. It made Naruto's inner-child happy.

Neither knew how long they had gone through this but apparently, it was long enough as Kiba sat down near the Uchiha, his clothes signing and a frown on his face.

"What are the chances we'd run into two Shinobi with all three types of combat at their disposal like that? When?" Kiba whined as his dog came crawling towards him before rolling to his back and whining as well. Shino, while not as bad as his partner, seemed a bit off balance and somewhat aloof. Well, more aloof than usual.

Naruto blinked when Obito jumped a few feet in front of him and smiled at him. "Your turn," was all he got to say before he leapt back to make easy work of long hand signs. Sasuke shot up to his feet, preparing for the worst. Naruto just blinked at Sasuke.

He took in his breath before releasing a giant fireball. Sasuke jumped away, avoiding the fireball and getting ready to retaliate. From the corner of his eye, he saw that Naruto yawned and pushed himself off the tree he was leaning on.

_What is that dobe doing?'_ Sasuke thought before shaking his thoughts of Naruto and searching for Obito. He found said sensei staring incredulously as the fireball engulfed the still yawning and stretching blond.

Sasuke zipped up to the other Uchiha and spun to deliver a backhand to the sensei. Obito blinked and ducked under Sasuke's strike. Expecting a retaliation, Sasuke jumped back, only to see that Obito had also jumped away.

'_Why w__ould he do that?'_ Sasuke thought, but left it at that as he saw his teacher preparing another attack.

This time, not only was it a fireball but one the size of a mountain. Sasuke's eyes widened at it, knowing full well that there wasn't a damned thing he could do to stop a fireball of this magnitude and intensity. Still, he refused to turn away and still tried to avoid it.

The second the fireball touched his leg, it didn't burn. No, it left no mark or burn of any kind. Instead, it wrapped around his leg before swallowing his body whole. In an instant, Sasuke was surrounded by a globe of warm colors while no way of being released.

Suddenly, Obito's face appeared in front of him, as big and tall as the trees that used to surround them. His eyes spun around as he stuck his tongue and blew a raspberry.

Sasuke groaned into his hands, disappointed in himself. He fell for another of Obito's infamous Genjutsu.

'_Damn it, I got careless,'_ Sasuke thought as he activated his Sharingan, hoping to deactivate the Genjutsu before anything else happened. Suddenly, the Genjutsu wore off and Sasuke found himself sitting where he was before 'Obito' attacked them with the first fireball.

He looked up, only to wish he had as he watched Obito's head laughing as his body was captured in a coffin of rock. Naruto stood to the side of him with the corners of his lips curving upward.

"Looks like I was sloppy," Obito said and Kurenai sighed as she jumped down from her hiding place in the trees.

"I told you not to take it easy on them. Though, I am surprised you fell for the Genjutsu at all, Sasuke," she said, slight dissatisfaction yet warm compassion stitching her voice. Sasuke scoffed and looked away, blushing at his error.

"I see you were trained well, Naruto," Obito said as he managed to release the jutsu keeping him still and brushing the pebbles off his shoulder. Naruto was impressed, that wasn't exactly an easy jutsu to get out of.

"I guess so," he replied nonchalantly, shrugging the comment off. Kurenai examined him a bit before crossing her arms over her ample chest.

"You did well, I suppose," she stated almost halfheartedly and Naruto looked at her oddly. She didn't like him, he could see that, and while he really didn't give a damn, he wondered what exactly he did to get on her bad side.

Naruto saw that she had lost what little interest she had in him and began to walk towards her student. Obito walked beside him and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Give her some time; I know she's a hardass but she usually means well," he said, having seen the look on his face. Naruto blinked and looked at him before shrugging off his shoulder.

"I didn't come here to make friends," Naruto said as he took a step away from Obito. "If she wants to hate me, let her; it's not new to me."

Obito just watched in morbid curiosity as Naruto began to walk back to Inari's home. "Training's not over,"

"It is for me," he said, waving at him without turning. Obito took in his breath before releasing it through his nostrils.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Minato waited patiently under the shade of a massive tree. Kakashi sat beside the tree, reading the trilogy Minato's master wrote for the second time since leaving the village. If Kakashi's perverted snicker indicated anything, he was in the middle of the second book.

"Can you put that away? I allowed you to read it on the way here so you wouldn't complain but damn it, I'm not going to stand here while you giggle like a horny schoolgirl," Minato said with a throbbing vein in his forehead. Kakashi ripped his gaze from his book to consider his teacher for a moment. Then he reached into his pocket and offered his sensei an orange book.

"I finished this a while back; wanna borrow it?" he asked seriously and Minato almost ripped the book into thousands of pieces but then he blinked. He never really gave the book a chance. Sure, he knew it was all smut but to critique it without actually giving it a chance left a bad taste in his mouth. Besides, Kushina wouldn't find out if he took a peak, right?

"Lord Hokage," an old, husky voice croaked and Minato looked up to see the Tsuchikage and his escort. The Tsuchikage was an old man with a triangular beard and a moustache with angular corners. He had a big red nose and thick rectangular-shaped eyebrows. The top of his head was completely bald, although, he had some white hair at the back and sides of his head with a yellow ribbon tied to the hairs on the back of his head into a topknot. Ōnoki wore a green and yellow coat with a red collar and underneath, he wore an Iwagakure flak jacket.

His escort was wearing a large headpiece consisting of a three pointed crown-like ridge, bearing both his Iwagakure forehead protector and ring, and a prominent black piece of armor running across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. Despite the fact that he only looked a bit younger than the Tsuchikage, his hair was solid red. His hair and beard style were exactly the same as that of the Four-Tails inside him. He dressed himself in a long-sleeved purple shirt and pants, and brown armor. He also had a bag tied on his waist, most likely containing ninja tools.

At first glance, Minato almost felt like escorting the old man to a retirement home. Old fool looked like he'd break his back just standing for longer than a minute. Then, memories and thoughts flashed into his head and his fist tightened. This was the man who took his child; not directly but even so, he was the reason his family was incomplete for fourteen years.

"Lord Tsuchikage," Minato growled out and the old man smirked. Seeing his enemy riled up the way he was brought him some joy.

"Such hostility; young people are always the most impatient," Ōnoki said and Roshi muttered something under his breath. "What'd you say?"

"Don't worry about it, Lord Tsuchikage," Roshi said, trying to present himself as well-mannered.

"So, what did you want to meet me for?" Minato said in a business-like manner. The shorter he kept the conversation, the less likely he'd kill the old man. So much anger pulled on his heart and the desire for retribution kept yelling at him in his mind.

"I want my Shinobi back," Ōnoki said, a small, knowing smile tugging at his lips as he watched Minato take in some air.

"You got some nerve," Minato growled under his breath as his hand shot into his pockets and grabbed his special kunai. Roshi lazily moved in front of Ōnoki with his arms crossed over his torso.

"Let's keep this as nonviolent as we can, shall we?" Roshi suggested nonchalantly. Minato stared him down but kept himself from taking action. Seeing the Tsuchikage's escort act, Kakashi felt obliged to do something as well. So, with a heavy sigh, he closed his book and pocketed it.

"And I was getting to such a good part, too," Kakashi commented ruefully. Roshi raised an eyebrow to the youngest member and laughed.

"The part with Hanate and Emiko?" he asked.

"Hm, the part after that," Kakashi corrected and Roshi shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess we each have our own preferences," he stated and Kakashi nodded in agreement.

"If you ladies are done talking about your stories," Ōnoki taunted, subduing his own comment on his favorite novel, "we have business to attend to."

Now Minato was a little more interested in what lay behind the covers of Jiraiya's best-selling novel. Still, that could wait…

"As I was saying, my Shinobi please," Ōnoki repeated, a smirk reappearing on his lips.

"My _son_ will go wherever he pleases," he said and crossed his arms over his chest. "He's a little busy at the moment, which is why he isn't here."

"Let's cut the crap; you and I both know he's your son but what _you_ fail to realize is that he is _my_ Shinobi," Ōnoki explain, his own anger beginning to rise. "And besides that, he _hates you and Konoha_! I know the boy like my own son and even my old eyes can see that he wants nothing to do with you or that godforsaken village!"

"Old man," Roshi whispered and Ōnoki caught the warning expression laced in his face. He then looked at Minato to see that the man had become deadly silent. His body was stiff and his eyes kept scanning the area every so often. "We didn't come here to fight," Roshi told them.

Kakashi cracked his neck and let out a sigh of relief. "That's a relief. We didn't either, right sensei?"

Minato said nothing.

"I just want what belongs to me," Ōnoki informed the three. "Now, when will I expect the boy to return to _my_ village?" he asked, ignoring the clear rage leaking out of Minato.

"… after the Chūnin exams," Minato, surprising Kakashi and Roshi. "He has to take the Exams. Afterwards, we'll let him decide what he wants to do."

"And why in the hell should I go along with this?" Ōnoki asked with impatience. Why should his tool get to decide whose side it wanted to work for? It was _HIS_ tool after all.

"Agreed," Roshi said and received a nod from Minato and a glare from Ōnoki. "Shut up, old man. We did what we came here to do; fighting will get us nowhere."

"I AM THE TSUCHIKA-AH, MY BACK!" Ōnoki fell to the ground, his back aching like a bitch. Roshi and Kakashi almost burst out laughing but refrained from doing so. Roshi went to help him but Ōnoki got up before the Jinchūriki could even touch him.

"Chūnin Exams; Naruto decides where his home is," Roshi summarized after making sure the Tsuchikage was ok, and Minato nodded. Roshi caressed his beard before holding up his index finger. "One condition," he began and Minato waited for his condition. "He enters the Exams with his old team."

Minato mentally debated the idea before accepting it. No harm done. "Agreed."

"Nice doing business with you," Roshi said before walking away. Ōnoki watched the man go with disbelief before grumbling and following after the Jinchūriki. He looked back at Minato and Kakashi occasionally before disappearing into the wilderness. Minato just stared at the area in front of him, thoughts running at a thousand miles per minute.

"Hey, sensei," Kakashi walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. His eyes shot open as he took a step back. For a second, Kakashi thought he actually _felt_ Minato's rage solidify around him like a cloak.

"We need to go," Minato said as he spun on his heels and began to walk off. Kakashi just stared at his hand for a while longer before following after Minato. He couldn't shake off the feeling of his hand on his sensei's shoulder. He's never sensed so much anger and hatred in someone before; not like he had in Minato. It was terrifying to be in the presence of so much rage; especially when it came from someone as powerful as Minato.

* * *

**Not much I can say at this point... Hope you liked it...**

**I'll try to update as soon as things stop being hectic on my end but I'm not promising anything...**

**Sigh, peace!**


	17. The Other Side of the Coin

**Man, I'm tired...**

**Sorry, bad way to greet after... what? five months?**

**Sorry, life's a pain...**

**Anyway, I had this chapter all up and ready to be posted three months ago...**

**Unfortunately, I had it saved in my laptop... which was stolen... with all my cherished pics and vids -_-**

**But, i moved on, and so did time...**

**I'd like to say that I managed to buy a new laptop to replace the old one.. Sadly, i don't have that kind of life...**

**Old school computer is what I have, and what I have works so I shouldn't complain...**

**Enough of me, on to the chapter!  
_*sorry if it's not the best update*_**

**_"Women really do rule the world. They just haven't figured it out yet. When they do, and they will, we're all in big big trouble."  
~"Doctor Leon,"_  
**

**This chapter is dedicated to the two lovely ladies of Naruto: Hinata and Kushina...**

**Chapter 17: The Other Side of the Coin...  
**

**I don't own Naruto!**

* * *

"…I pray to be only yours," Kushina sang under her breath as Itachi walked beside her. He'd known his sensei for almost all his life but had rarely ever heard her sing. It was only when she was feeling lonely, really excited or just thinking about a certain Kage.

She continued to sing, her voice livening up the forest and causing animals to pop their heads out of their hiding places, clearly hypnotized by Kushina's lovely voice. Itachi didn't blame them; after his mother, he knew no other woman with a lovelier singing voice than his teacher and second mother.

"If you'd like," Itachi began to say after Kushina finished singing, "I can dance while you sing another song."

She laughed and playfully slapped his shoulder. "Very funny."

It was odd; just a day ago, she was mumbling and grumbling something about Minato and how she was going to kill him when they got home and now, she was happy as a bird. Also singing like one.

So, Itachi had to ask, "Why are you so happy?"

"What? I can't be happy anymore?" she asked, a bit irritably. Who was he to question her happiness?

"It just seems odd to me that you were cursing your husband to a horrible death twenty-four hours ago, yet here you are now, happily singing a song," he said, and Kushina blinked, the wheels turning in her head. She smiled childishly and continued to look forward.

"Don't judge me," was all she said as they finally saw Kumogakure off in the distance. Her smile dimmed down, but it was still there. Itachi said nothing; knowing her past with Kumo, he decided just to be there for her.

It didn't take long before they were standing in front of Kumo's gates, but, by then, Kushina's smile was replaced with a thin, straight line.

"I see you arrived safely, ambassador of Konoha," the guard said as he bowed his head. Itachi bowed his head in return.

"Please, I am just the substitute. Though, my sensei is the one who'll be speaking for Konoha this time," he said and the guard turned his eyes to Kushina, who seemed as cold as their environment. A sudden chill traveled up and down his spine as his eyes connected with her harsh, storm-like violet eyes. His mouth opened a bit, and his eyes widened slightly. He felt like he was in the presence of one of the tailed beasts.

Within a second, he composed himself and allowed the two to enter the village. They took a look around the village, taking in everything. It was a fairly big place, with giant buildings scattered throughout it. People gave the two odd looks but refrained from doing anything else.

"What are you looking at?" snarled the redhead, and everyone looked away, giving Kushina some satisfaction. Itachi sighed but couldn't stop a small smile from popping up from under his cloak. His eyes scanned the people around him, looking for a threat, but he found nothing. There were Shinobi scattered around with civilians but they weren't giving their guests the time of day. That was fine with Itachi.

"Hey!" The two stopped to see a man running towards them.

A dark-skinned, muscular man with white hair finally stood before them. He had a tattoo of the kanji for 'Iron' on his right shoulder and one of a bull's horns on his left cheek. The man wore oval-shaped sunglasses and a white forehead protector. He also had Kumo's standard one-strap-over-one-shoulder flak jacket, a long, red rope belt tied around his waist, the standard Kumo hand- and shin-guards, and a white scarf around his neck.

Itachi and Kushina noticed seven swords hanging on his back and wondered if he carried them for back-up if he ever lost a few during fights.

"What's up, fools? Why didn't y'all wait for me at the gates, yo?" he asked, causing Kushina and Itachi to blink at each other before looking at the man like he was crazy.

"Excuse me?" Kushina asked angrily and the man laughed.

"I'm your guide; Bro sent me to pick you guys up from the gates. What happened?" he explained and asked, seeing the confused looks on his guests' faces.

"Guess you scared the guard so badly that you made him forget his duties," Itachi deadpanned, and Kushina glared at the Uchiha prodigy. Kushina raised an eyebrow and then focused her attention on the man in front of her, who was giving her a very hard calculating stare.

"What?" she growled, and the man didn't reply; he just kept staring at her as if he knew her before he snapped his fingers.

"Ah-ha! I knew I recognized you from somewhere," he said as he extended his right hand out. "Killer B, Kumogakure Shinobi and Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, yo!" he greeted, surprising Kushina. "It's nice to meet a fellow Jinchūriki, Nine-Tails," he said and Kushina felt old emotions start to bubble. Surprisingly enough, pride was the strongest of the various emotions.

She took his hand and smiled a bit, trying to be somewhat friendly. "Kushina Uzumaki, but I'm no longer the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails; that title belongs to my son," she said, her pride shining brightly at the mention of her son. Killer B nodded in understanding, but his smile and attitude remained the same.

"Still, it's cool to meet you. I don't see much of my Jinchūriki brothers and sisters, but that's all cool. Come on, Bro's probably freaking out right now," he said and began to lead Kushina and Itachi to the Raikage's tower.

Though, to call it a tower would be insulting it. The way it was built, it was more of a fortress than a tower. Standing tall and strong in the back of the village, the fortress overshadowed the majority of the village, casting a long shadow.

"Somebody is overcompensating," Kushina said under her breath, and Itachi smirked.

"That's Bro," B said with a chuckle in his tone. He led the two up the fortress and gave each person that glared at his two guests an empty stare that made them look away nervously. It didn't go unnoticed by the two, but they refused to say anything.

Upon arriving in front of two gigantic doors, B took in a deep breath and kicked the door open with inhuman force. Not a second later, a book slammed into B's forehead and sent him flying back into the wall. His body hit and went down like a sack of potatoes.

"He's ready..." B said before his head bowed, and he lay motionless where he sat. Kushina blinked before looking at Itachi, while said ANBU just stared at B a while longer before shrugging his shoulders at his sensei. Kushina sighed before walking into the office, followed by a cautious Itachi.

"Ah, the Hokage's mistress," a booming voice echoed in the humongous office. The two Konoha Shinobi turned their eyes to the black leather chair as it spun and revealed that the voice belonged to the Raikage. "I see your trek went without a hitch; how relieving."

The Raikage stood tall, overshadowing Kushina and Itachi both. A muscular man with blond braided hair and a small mustache and beard. His face was very distinguished with pronounced cheekbones, tear troughs under his eyes, and a prominent crease across his forehead.

"Although I was expecting the blond nuisance himself, it's still a pleasure to see his concubine and her lapdog," A taunted with a loud laugh. A vein pulsed in Itachi's forehead as he passively stared at the Raikage. Though he was calm on the outside, Itachi wanted nothing more than to silence the overgrown child; he was no one's lapdog! He turned to gauge Kushina's reaction, expecting the Raikage to burst into flames by her intense glare, or blown away by her yells and protests. He was expecting the tower to crumble under her killer intent and men and women to cower at her feet as if she was some goddess or-

"Wife," Kushina said calmly, causing A to stop. Even Itachi had to look at her strangely. He was not expecting _that._ "I am his wife." And for a split second, a wave of cold, instinctual fear made A flinch and blink as he made eye contact with the redhead. Itachi almost doubted that it happened; the only thing that reassured him that it actually happened was when A immediately looked away from them to glare at the wall to his left.

A's demeanor darkened as he leaned back down on his chair. Without a word, he motioned his guests to sit in the two chairs positioned in front of his desk. The two followed his unspoken gesture and sat quietly, both enjoying the frown on the man's face.

"So, what business does your _husband_ have with Kumogakure?" the man asked with a scowl.

"Come on, Brother, you need to chill!" B said as he appeared behind the bulky Kage. Without a moment's hesitation, A turned, grabbed B by the face and tossed him out of the fortress via the window. Itachi and Kushina watched with morbid amusement as B flew over the village and landed near its outskirts, a mushroom cloud rising from his landing spot.

"Good technique," Kushina noted, causing Itachi to turn his head and give her an inquisitive look. "I'll make sure to try that out on Kakashi," she finished; Itachi barely kept himself from chuckling under his breath.

"Forgive my idiotic brother's intrusion. Please, continue," A assured, and Kushina nodded without giving it a second thought. She stood, reaching for something in a pouch attached to her left leg. Without even batting an eye to the ANBU that appeared by A's side, she pulled out a scroll and walked up to A's desk. His ANBU tensed and were prepared to jump into battle with the feared Red Whirlpool when A suddenly raised his hand, gesturing for them to stand down. They hesitated but did so before they invoked their Kage's temper.

Kushina unrolled the scroll on his desk and everyone in attendance got their breath hitched in their throat as smoke covered the scroll then slowly dispersed to reveal a battered, yet still fresh, cadaver. A stared at the cadaver. He said nothing, just stared at it as if willing it to speak. Finally, he looked back up and gave Kushina a hard stare.

"Where did you get this?"

Kushina slammed her right hand on A's desk and leveled him, and his ANBU, with fiery eyes. "I want to know everything about this man. I want to know where he slept, what he did, what he ate; everything!" At this point, her bright red hair rose and separated evenly into nine sections, reminding everyone that they were in the presence of the ex-jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails. "And if I even think you are deceiving me, I will tear this village apart."

A just stared into Kushina's eyes, a little disturbed by the level of rage buried deep in her violet eyes. He knew she would do good on her word and true, she was only one person, but he knew the sort of damage she could do alone. His eyes drifted to Itachi and A knew, with the Uchiha accompanying her, the village would be lucky to even have a quarter of its civilians and Shinobi left by the time those two were taken out.

Still, A was too stubborn to just roll over and let some woman and her fanboy walk over him like a doormat. So, he did the only thing any man in his position would do...

"Agreed, on one condition:" he said, holding up on finger. "You won't have access to anything unsupervised," he turned to the ANBU on the left. "Go get my idiot brother."

**[*.*.*.*]**

Neji sighed as he exited the shower and threw on the training uniform he grabbed before he entered the restroom. Today would be the day he'd show Lee he was the team leader for a reason. The teen was a strong ally with a strategic mind, sure enough, but Guy choose Neji because of his ability to consider others into the mix a bit faster than Lee. It didn't matter that he could toss the green-clad Genin like a rag doll.

A prideful smirk crossed his face as he entered his room, only to be wiped away as he saw Hinata sitting on his bed, her good arm holding her other arm and a disappointed frown on her face. She was holding something but was hiding it under her cast. Neji blinked and gulped; that look was never a good thing. He quickly scanned his room to see that it was a lot cleaner than when he last saw it – which was five minutes ago.

"Good morning, Lady Hinata," he greeted as he bowed. Hinata raised an eyebrow as she rose from his bed.

"Neji-nii, I'm so glad I caught you before you left for your team training," she said and walked up to him. She handed him an envelope and walked past him but not before kissing his cheek. Neji didn't need to look in it to know what was inside. It didn't matter at this point what he would say; Hinata new the truth based on the surprised look on his face. "I wanted to wish you good luck and to have a nice day," she said from outside his room.

Neji just stood there for a moment longer before shaking his head and hiding the envelope in his underwear drawer and putting on his sandals. As he quietly made his way down the stairs, he prayed that Hinata was somewhere on the other side of the compound.

No Hinata; he was home-free!

"Tell Tenten I said hello," Neji froze at the sound of the voice; he was so close!

"Of course, Lady Hinata," he said as he threw the door open and slammed it shut in mid-stride. Hinata watched him go with a smile on her lips; she did think it was a bit evil of her to mess with her older brother like that, but, aside from it being entertaining, he needed to know that she did not support the things he and Tenten were doing.

With a sigh, she went to continue cleaning the compound. Neji's room was done and she cleaned hers before anyone else was awake. Hanabi had yet to wake up, and she had to go to the Academy in twenty minutes. She was next...

When Hinata entered her room, she wasn't surprised to see Hanabi on the floor, drool accumulating around her mouth and her feet still propped on her bed. Hinata giggled as she poked her sister in the ribs with her foot. Hanabi let out a short chuckle before becoming silent again. Hinata carefully knelt down beside Hanabi and, with her good hand, began tickling her. The younger Hyūga was helpless to the surprise attack as she woke up and began to laugh uncontrollably.

"Hi-Hinata-nee! S-S-Stop," the poor girl couldn't even speak coherently as the air in her lungs left her body. "I'm awake! I'M AWAKE!" she yelled in a desperate attempt to make her older sister stop. Hanabi's laughs died down as she sat down and wiped a stray tear from each eye. She looked and saw Hinata smiling down at her. Hanabi had to admit, Hinata was a beautiful girl. Their father had mentioned that she looked a lot like their mother. Hanabi didn't know her mother beyond the pictures she'd seen, but she didn't need to know her to know she was an attractive woman.

Hanabi blinked as she was helped to her feet by Hinata. In retrospect, at some point or another, someone has said Hinata was just a younger version of their mother – kind, intelligent, gentle, strong, and beautiful – while Hanabi was basically a female version of her father – strong, fierce in battle, and hardheaded; of course, they made sure to say that last one when the man in question wasn't around.

She sort of envied Hinata, but, in that case, that would mean she'd have to do everything Hinata did, which Hanabi would rather not do.

"Go get ready, Hanabi-chan," she said and the girl gave a mock-salute and dashed to the restroom. Hinata giggled as she turned her attention to her sister's room. Clothes were haphazardly thrown around the room and her stuff was as organized as leaves during autumn. Hinata sighed as she began to separate the clean clothes on the floor from the dirty ones. Hinata could only find one clean outfit in the entire mess.

As she was half way done picking up the clothes, Hinata noticed a slip of paper sticking out from Hanabi's bed. She knelt down and managed to free the paper, only to find out it was a photo of their family. Hinata smiled as she sat on Hanabi's bed, taking in her mother, holding onto a barely-month-old Hanabi while Hinata smiled cheerfully next to her stoic father – some things never changed. Placing the photo on top of a nearby drawer, Hinata continued to clean the natural disaster that was Hanabi's room.

By the time Hinata finished cleaning Hanabi's room, Hanabi had barged right in, a towel covering her torso and waist and another towel in her hands, drying her hair. Hinata frowned at Hanabi who blinked when she noticed her face.

"What?"

"You have to be at the Academy in ten minutes," Hinata chided; Hanabi shrugged off the comment, closing her door behind her. She let her towel drop as she ran into her closet and began to go through her morning ritual with her sister.

"Not that shirt!"

"What's wrong with it?"

"It's dirty!"

"That's dust!"

"Hanabi-chan!"

"All right! What about this one?"

"...no."

"Then you decide!" Hanabi shouted as she threw on some brown pants and a white T. "I'm going to get breakfast!" Hanabi almost left but was stopped short by Hinata, who grabbed her shoulder and pointed to her newly-made bed. On the bed were a sleeveless, blue v-neck shirt, with mesh armor underneath, and blue shorts. Hanabi frowned but went to change as Hinata left the room. She quickly made her way to the kitchen to prepare her sister's breakfast. She might be running late but she wasn't about to let her run out of the house without breakfast.

Hinata managed to toast some bread by the time Hanabi came down and handed it to her with a glass of milk and a banana, knowing it to be her favorite fruit. Hanabi grabbed her breakfast, gulping down the milk and then running out the door with the banana and toast in hand. Hinata watched her leave in silence and smiled. Normally, she'd go train with her teammates or go find Ino and train, but, since she had her arm in a cast, it'd be wise to hold off on the training.

She sighed heavily, looking around. The members of the Branch House had cleaned the house pretty well, so there would be no point in cleaning.

Hinata smiled and bowed at a passing Branch member, who didn't hesitate to bow before leaving. She decided to visit her father, knowing he'd be in his office. On the way there, she passed many members of her family, greeting each of them and bowing. Some smiled back with a bow while others bowed with stoic or scared expressions. She had to feel a bit hurt at that but she couldn't say she didn't sympathize. The Main branch had the power to turn their brains to a soft, wet, pulpy mass. No one had ever witnessed her do it, but the possibility still existed, and that was enough for them to fear her.

She knocked on Hiashi's door and waited for him to give her the go-ahead to enter his office. She quietly walked in, shut his door behind her, and sat in front of him. He was currently reviewing some paperwork given to him by the elders, most likely the financial report of the Hyūga clan. Hinata didn't know, nor did she care to find out – at least, not now.

"Good morning father," she finally said as she saw him put the report down. There was a twinkle in his eyes, something barely noticeable but Hinata caught it; he was happy to see her.

"I hope all is well, my daughter?" he asked, which Hinata decoded as him worrying about her. She nodded.

"I am doing well, thank you for asking, Father," which Hiashi decoded as _'I'm fine, stop worrying.'_

"I wouldn't want my eldest daughter to come into harm's way once again." _'Don't tell me not to worry.'_ Hinata raised an eyebrow.

"I assure you, father, I will be fine." _'Stop babying me!' _This time, Hiashi raised an eyebrow.

"I am just making sure." _'NEVER!'_ he assured her, making her roll her eyes. "That is starting to become a hindrance, when do you intend to be rid of it?" _'That boy is no good, get rid of him already!__**'**_

"It is quite all right, it gives me time to meditate more and recover. And I was told that it could come off around the time of the Chūnin Exams." _'He's no hindrance, he's been teaching me new things. Besides, only time can tell if we'll stay together or separate.'_

"I see, I still think you should be more careful." _'I better not hear that he 'attacked' you again, or I'm going to make sure he never makes a miniature copy of himself.'_

Hinata blushed and nodded. The room suddenly became quiet as Hinata's mind replayed that day in the hospital. Hiashi just raised an eyebrow at her ever-darkening face. Though Hiashi had to admit, things had gotten a bit awkward between them ever since that day. He almost wished she'd kept that to herself. Almost.

"When that cast is removed, be prepared for some harsh training." _'When he comes back, be prepared because I'm going to kill that boy.'_

"Yes, father." _'We'll see old man!'_

The two just stared at each other, neither of them blinking. Eventually, Hiashi blinked and picked up a new report, his eyes quickly scanning it before he placed it down to look at Hinata again. It was so hard for him to look at her without seeing a bit of his wife as well. It was a hard realization, but he also knew that, one day, he'd have to let his not-so-little girl out into the real world without him holding her hand. He'd always be there when she needed him, but, one day, she wouldn't need him anymore. That was what scared him the most, second only to her premature death.

"Do me a favor, Hinata, and go with Izumi to the grocery store. I recall someone informing me that we're almost out of food and I know that you like to help her take stock of our inventory." _'I don't know what else to talk about, it's getting awkward, and I'm getting hungry,'_ he said, and Hinata nodded with a smile as she rose. She silently made her way to her father and kissed his cheek.

"I love you," _'I love you,_" she said before walking to the door.

"Quite." _'I love you, too,'_ and, with that, Hinata made her way to find Izumi.

[*.*.*.*]

"Lord Raikage!" Said man paused as he turned and saw his secretary running up to him. He was so close to going home and jumping into a nice, hot bath. He swore he'd tear a new one into his secretary if what she was bringing him wasn't important.

"What?" the man snapped and the black-haired secretary stopped in her place and looked up at the giant of a man standing not much farther than five feet from her. Not like it made a difference to the fastest man on the planet – aside from the Yellow Flash, but he's on a whole other level of speed.

"I-I've met up w-with Team Delta; y-you know, the t-team sent to search L-Lord Hi-"

"Spit it out woman!"

The small woman squeaked before her body tensed and straightened up. "Team Delta found an item of interest in a secret lair under Lord Hiroku's home!" the woman yelled in terror. A just stared at her as he waited for his brain to register what she said. After a few minutes of mentally spacing the words, his eyes narrowed. His left hand extended and a neat journal fell into his palm.

He looked around the journal but there were no traps of any kind or any writing on it. His eyes focused back on her, only to go back to the journal when she motioned him to read it.

"I'll read it in my chamber, thank you," he said before walking away, his eyes solely focused on the book in his hands. There was something about the book that gave him the creeps.

A feeling of foreboding suddenly washed over him, and he dropped the book. A stared at it for a second before shaking his head and continuing on his way to his chambers. Whatever was written in the book, A had a feeling he would have to contact his brother and maybe Kushina.

[*.*.*.*]

Kushina shared a laugh with B as the two chatted in Kumo's largest, yet best-kept-secret, library. Kushina told B some of Minato's embarrassing moments while B told Kushina of A's. The entire day was just so much fun for Kushina that she almost forgot why they were there.

"Could you please keep it down?" Itachi asked as he kept the scroll he was reading in front of his face. He was about ready to go back to Konoha; he had been at this for hours and nothing suspicious had shown up yet. On paper, the man was about as interesting as moldy cheese, which, besides the odd color, wasn't as interesting as one might think. The only thing that made the man stand out was that, after work, he'd disappear for an hour or so before going home, as told by Kumo's ANBU.

Still, that was only on paper; because his life was recorded for almost every minute of every day since he first started working in Kumo's T&I, however, that made him a person of interest to Itachi. The only problem was that there was no proof of him being anything but an average Shinobi working for the sake of his village.

"Hey, Itachi, let's call it a night," Kushina said as she and B rose from their seats. "B's inviting us to eat, and I'm starving!" she added, flashing a smile at the end. Itachi sweat-dropped but nodded as he rolled up the scroll and left it on the table. "All right! Let's go!"

It wasn't long until Kushina and Itachi sat down beside Killer B in a ramen stand, just like Kushina had asked/threatened for.

"So B, how's the Eight-Tails treating you?" Kushina asked as the three waited patiently for their food. B just hummed as he folded his arms and started to think. Kushina watched him as his face scrunched up or changed expressions every so often. If she didn't know any better, she'd think he was actually talking to the Bijū!

"Bah! The old fossil doesn't feel like talking right now! Damn lazy... But yeah, aside from now, he's typically decent. A bit of a smart-ass, but I can't complain, yo," B said, accompanying his answer with a smile. Kushina laughed and turned to Itachi, who was reading something he probably wrote down while in the library.

"Itachi!" Kushina bellowed as she ripped the note out of Itachi's hands. He blinked before turning his eyes to Kushina. He glared at her but she wasn't intimidated. "Don't give me that look! We agreed not to make copies of any documents we found down there," she chided and Itachi shook his head with a sigh.

"It's not a copy of any kind; just a map of the village," he said and then made Kushina place the map on the table in front of them. He then started to point at the circles he drew on random places. "These locations are where Hiroku worked, ate, and slept, as dictated by Kumo's ANBU," he informed her, then he looked up at B. "With your permission and guidance, we'd like to see these places," he said, adding a silencing stare which was directed to Kushina. She wanted to slap the back of his head but decided to remain silent and see where this would take them.

"Hm, I don't know. I'd have to ask Big Bro, but," B looked around and then made the two huddle around him, "I'm sure I can do it anyway." Kushina smiled happily while Itachi nodded thankfully. The sound of bowls hitting the table was heard, and the three looked up to see their ramen sitting right in front of them.

"To friendship!" Kushina cheered before devouring her ramen. B watched in morbid fascination before beginning his ramen, albeit rather slowly. Itachi, already used to his surrogate mother eating this way, had already started his with no problem. Before long, B had eaten four bowls, Itachi had eaten three and Kushina was on her tenth. As she neared her eleventh, all three felt a presence suddenly appear behind them.

"Lord B." said man sighed as he turned and faced the ANBU kneeling in front of him.

"What does Bro want? I'm eating!" he yelled impatiently, but the ANBU did not flinch.

"I was sent by Lord Raikage to get you, Lord B. He wants you to meet him in his chambers," the ANBU said, and B sighed once more, a bit more exasperatedly than before.

"Sure, let's go," he said.

"Sir, what about-"

"I'm sure they remember where their hotel is, right?" B said, interrupting the ANBU. Itachi nodded immediately, and Kushina just waved. The ANBU hesitated but disappeared without another word. B got up and slapped some money on the table. "This should be enough; you eat any more and you're paying for that," he said, pointing at Kushina at the last part. She just smiled sheepishly. B left after muttering a goodbye, and Kushina noticed Itachi begin to relax.

Swallowing the last of the ramen, Kushina stood and snatched the map from Itachi's hands again.

"Let's go check these places out," she whispered as she began to sneak out of the ramen stand. Itachi blinked before hanging his head in defeat as he began walking after his sensei, only to stop and blink when Kushina raced back into the stand.

"Can I have one salt ramen to go?" she asked with a crooked smile, and Itachi held his face in his hands and shook his head.

* * *

**Well, that's it...**

**Sorry if it's short but for now, this is all you guys get...**

**Just wanted to show a bit of Hinata's and Kushina's character... These two are my favorite female character of the entire series...**

**But yeah, not sure if I should continue the next chapter with Naruto or with Hinata and Kushina...**

**Any ideas?**

**Let me know, I like to hear from you guys...**

**It's been fun but I gotta go, hope to update again real soon (sorry if I don't)...**

**Till next time!**

**Peace!**


	18. A Bump in the Road

The old man was irked. Roshi couldn't help but muse how irritable the man has been since Naruto left.

It wasn't because the boy brought happiness to the old man – though there were moments when the Jinchūriki had thought he'd seen happiness spark in his eyes whenever the blond ball of energy showed up in his office when he was younger. Still, his main concern was not losing a surrogate grandson, but his main weapon against the Yellow Flash. The old man was so concerned with getting his revenge that he was slowly driving away everyone who was ever close to him. Even Roshi felt his ties with Ōnoki start to dwindle under the weight of his need for redemption.

It was really getting on his nerves.

"Roshi!" the red-haired man flinched at the tone of the old man. He faced Ōnoki with a deadpanned face and gave him a mock-salute. "Where's my tea?"

"You don't drink tea."

"What? That's ridiculous!"

"You said you might as well not drink it since it passes through you like a hose."

"..."

"..green?"

"Make it quick!" the old Tsuchikage barked, sending his old friend away. He watched him leave in a puff before looking down at the files on his desk.

Konoha.

Guy, Might.

Hatake, Kakashi.

Hyūga, Hiashi.

Jiraiya of the Sannin.

Namikaze, Kushina

Namikaze, Minato.

Sarutobi, Asuma.

Shimura, Danzō.

Uchiha, Fugaku.

Uchiha, Itachi.

Uchiha, Obito.

Each file contained a photo of the person or place to whom it belonged to. He stared at it, mentally thanking the spy he had sent to Konoha for coming back so soon. He just wanted to read them all at once. His aged hand slowly reached out for Minato's file first, but was stopped when he heard a knock. He looked up and saw his secretary sticking her head through the half open doors.

"Sir, there's someone here to see you," she squeaked and Ōnoki growled as he leaned back on his very comfy, back-supporting chair.

"Who?"

"Thank you child," a slick, cold voice said as the person the voice belonged to pushed her to the side. Ōnoki was surprised to see Orochimaru step into his office, with a sly grin attached to his face. "That will be all," he said nonchalantly. The secretary narrowed her eyes at him before searching for confirmation from the old man, who just nodded and motioned her away.

"You have a lot of courage to step into my office as if you owned it," Ōnoki started as he stood. "Or just a lot of stupidity."

Orochimaru laughed. "My, my, someone's obviously missed their afternoon nap," the snake Sannin mocked with a sense of superiority in his words.

"What did you say?"

"Or maybe... it's because someone took your favorite toy away," Orochimaru added, his tongue slithering out of his mouth and licking the edge of his chin. Ōnoki could feel his rage boil deep within his stomach. He wanted nothing more than to silence this... this petulant child and put him in his place.

However...

"What do you know?" he asked, wary of the Sannin.

"I know what happened that night," he said, prompting Ōnoki to freeze. "I know it was you who hired that Akatsuki member to steal young Naruto from his crib and deliver him to you," a wicked smirk had slipped into Orochimaru's lips and the Tsuchikage snarled.

With a quick gesture, Ōnoki summoned six of his best ANBU to surround Orochimaru and stab him with their katanas. The pale Sannin was shocked at the sudden action, only for six brown snakes to rush out of his gaping moouth and bite each of the ANBU. The six men were helpless as the toxins injected into their bloodstream began to break everything down.

"How rude," Orochimaru crawled out of his dead "body" and clicked his teeth. "Do you want me to come by later? I think that nap I spoke of early would come in handy right about now."

"I want to know why you're here. Now tell me!" Ōnoki demanded and Orochimaru bowed.

"As you wish,." he chuckled as he rose. "I have a proposition that I think you'll be interested in," at this, Ōnoki raised an eyebrow. "It concerns that accursed place, the place that must be destroyed wiped out of the map; I'm talking about Konoha."

"Get to it boy," Ōnoki snapped.

"How would you like to get rid of that place once and for all?" Ōnoki leaned back on his chair, placing his intertwined hands in front of his mouth. He sat there, staring at Orochimaru as he thought over what the Sannin just proposed.

"I'm listening."

**[*.*.*.*]**

"So, that's the rundown of what's going on," Obito concluded as he stared at the back-up team that showed up an hour ago. It was still night – technically the morning but the sun hadn't risen yet. The moon was still out and shining down on everything out at this time.

"I see," Neji said. He looked at his team and saw that each were ready to face what was to come. He have no doubt Lee and Tenten could take care of themselves; they had the experience.

That still didn't calm his nerves.

"So what's the plan?" Neji asked.

"The original plan was to protect the town's people while they build the bridge and wait for Zabuza to reappear, but with Gatō involved, that throws a wrench into the plan," Obito informed them, biting his inner cheeks every so often.

"So I ask again, what's the plan?"

"Well, I'm not sure what Kurenai was thinking but I had an... unorthodox idea." he stated before pausing to hesitate. "I was planning to have someone sneak into Gatō's ranks, gain his trust so when we attack from the outside, we'll also attack from the inside."

"Why haven't you spoke with Kurenai about this?" Neji asked. The three stared at Obito as he comically shifted uncomfortably in his place.

"Well... 'cause... I just came up with it," everyone but Obito face-planted, said Uchiha just laughed sheepishly. "But come on, isn't that a better idea than just waiting to be attacked like sitting ducks?" the three agreed, rather begrudgingly but agreed nonetheless.

"Who's going to carry out such a dangerous mission?" Lee asked.

"It can't be Kurenai or Tenten, since they're girls – no offense, but it's more of a no-girls-allowed kind of gang," Obito said, before quickly adding the last part to save his ass from being poked by multiple sharp and pointy weapons. "Neji's out since his eyes are a dead give away. Lee," Obito paused to point at him, suddenly becoming speechless before shaking his head. "Just... no..."

"That only leaves you, Kiba, Shino and Sasuke."

"And me," the group turned to see Naruto come out from behind one of the many trees surrounding them.

"And him," Obito agreed with a smile. The three looked at Naruto, then at Obito, before finally staring at Naruto one last time.

"HIM?" Obito flinched.

"What's wrong with him? Besides, it's not like he's going to go alone," Obito said as he walked over to the blond and placed his left arm over younger's shoulders.

"You'll be joining him?" Neji asked.

"Nah, not me," Naruto looked up at Obito with stubbornness and a little bit of animosity.

"If it's not you, then I'd rather go alone," Naruto added his two cents but Obito ruffled his hair.

"If it was up to me, you'd have your way, but unfortunately, this is the part where Kurenai will most likely throw her weight around and assert her authority as the only female leader," Obito said. "Which is to say, she'd most likely have Sasuke go with you," he finished and almost burst out laughing when he saw the look on Naruto's face. Absolutely hysterical; he wished he had brought his camera.

"Hell no."

"Someone's gotta look after you and I'd do it but who's going to deal with Zabuza if he shows up again? Kurenai's not strong enough to handle him alone and Neji is too fresh – no offense," he explained. Neji let out a deep sigh, knowing that what Obito said was true.

"I think Shino would make a better companion," Naruto grumbled as he slipped past Obito's side hug. "Hell, even Dogface and Muttboy would make a decent partner than that pompous princess."

The two argued for a while; as they did, Tenten poked Neji and Lee, getting their attention. "I don't get it; is Kiba Dogface or Muttboy?"

"It's obvious, isn't it? Kiba is clearly Muttboy," Neji answered knowingly but Lee shook his head.

"No, no, I think you are mistaken, Neji-kun. I think Naruto called Kiba Dogface and Akamaru Muttboy," Lee corrected.

"What? That's preposterous, Akamaru has a dog's face since he's an actual dog – Dogface – and Kiba is Muttboy because he is a boy."

"But, Akamaru's a boy, too," Tenten added.

"Does Kiba have the face of a dog?"

"...depends on who you ask," Lee and Tenten said at the same time.

"This is not up for debate, Naruto," the three stopped their conversation when they heard the elder Uchiha declare this. Obito left no room for arguments as he shot all of Naruto's remaining questions down with a light glare. "Sasuke is capable and intelligent; I personally trained him and know what he is capable of. True, he doesn't have the best attitude but he's all you got."

Naruto crossed his arms but said nothing; he knew when he was beat. "Glad you see it my way."

"Let's just hope Kurenai sees it, too," a new voice commented behind Obito and said Uchiha laughed.

"Yeah, I hope-" he stopped when he turned to see Kurenai staring at him expectantly with her arms crossed under her ample bosom. Obito laughed sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Coward," Naruto mumbled under his breath.

"It was his idea," Obito said, pointing at Naruto. The blond looked at the Uchiha with a sense of betrayal.

"Cowardly traitor!"

***.***

"So, you're not only going to risk the Hokage's son's life but also the Uchiha's heir's? All because the kid's plan was better than just waiting here like... how was it you described it?" Kurenai asked sarcastically. Obito sighed.

"Like sitting ducks," he answered sorrowfully. Kurenai nodded as she crossed her arms and nodded her head.

"Right. Ducks. Why exactly should I agree to this plan?"

"Well primarily, because I'm in charge of this team as the senior Jōnin," he coughed into his hand when he saw Kurenai's reaction to it – she glared. "Also! Also because you know it's the only way to free these people from Gatō's grasp," he donned a serious expression and Kurenai had to turn away from the intensity of his stare. He was just so passionate about it that she could almost feel it radiate off him and onto her. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I just walked away from this injustice."

Suddenly, Obito turned his back to her. "He's going," he said. He turned his head to stare at Kurenai again. "Since Sasuke is technically your charge now, you can keep him from going. But Naruto's still going."

With that, Obito walked back to join Neji's team – plus Naruto – and continue their discussion. Kurenai took in a deep breath as she turned to walk back to her room; did he have a point?

"By the way, Kiba is Dogface, Akamaru is Muttboy," she blinked and turned to see Naruto smiling with his arms crossed while Lee pointed to Neji with his own smile.

"Ha! I told you!"

Kurenai blocked that moment from her memories; she had the feeling that she didn't want to know.

**[*.*.*.*]**

"Nothing?"

"No, I haven't run into anything out of the ordinary. There's nothing peculiar about this place."

"We can't give up. There has to be something here."

The sound of glass breaking suddenly echoed in the dark room.

"What was that?"

"...a lamp."

"Smooth."

"Shut up, Itachi," Kushina growled as she swept the broken lamp under the couch with her foot. Ignoring the broken lamp, Kushina continued to search the home for anything suspicious. There wasn't much light but the light coming from the moon was enough for the two Konoha shinobi. They continued their search for another half an hour before they decided to take a break.

"Why don't we continue this tomorrow? We'll have more luck and more help with B and some sunlight," Itachi suggested after seeing Kushina sit on the couch. Kushina bit her lower lip as her eyes continued to scan the room.

"There just has to be..." she trailed off after shifting her right leg. Her foot had bumped into a small gap, so small she almost missed it. She looked down and her hand shot down to touch the carpet. With her fingers, she could trace the gap and fan that it was at least three feet long. She got up and pushed the couch back until it touched the wall.

Getting on her knees, she took out a kunai and ripped through the carpet.

"What are you doing?" Itachi barked in a hushed whisper of frustration. First she breaks a lamp, not she tears up the carpet; she was just horrible. Itachi blinked when he saw a latch under all the carpet and what assumed was a trapdoor. "Oh."

Kushina glared at him before pulling on the latch and opening the trapdoor; a set of stairs descended into darkness. The red-haired home-destroyer stared at her accomplice before walking down the stairs. Itachi loyally followed behind her, summoning up chakra to his hand so he could ignite a flame. It lit up the whole room with a pale red light and the two were surprised to see a whole lab under his home.

"Sensei, I think we found what we were looking for," Itachi stated, earning a deadpanned expression from his mother.

"Thanks, and here I thought we found a second kitchen. Split up, if there's anything that's related to Konoha in anyway, it's evidence," Itachi nodded as the two began to scout the room. Logs, journals, test tubes containing unidentifiable liquids, utensils that would be used for autopsies or dissection; anything typically seen in a lab was within reach of both shinobi.

Another half hour passed and the two still hadn't found anything. Nothing they found useful, anyway.

"Let's go, sensei. It's getting late, someone might get suspicious and inform the Raikage of our disappearance. Besides-" Itachi begged as he searched through the bookshelf; he was starting to get tired of coming up empty handed. He stopped when he saw a book with the Konoha symbol embroidered on the front cover.

"What did you find?" Kushina asked. She walked up to her student and saw him flashing through a book at amazing speeds; he was using his Sharingan to help him read faster.

"What?" he let out a surprised gasp as he suddenly stopped and went back a couple of pages. Kushina could see his eyes twitching, never staying on one spot for longer than a nano-second. He handed the book to Kushina and placed his finger next to a paragraph in the middle of the page. "Read."

"_The battle was tough, but in the end, Kumo came out the victor. Although we weren't able to salvage both eyes, we were lucky enough to save the left eye! Now, at last, Konoha won't be the only village with the Byakugan,_" Kushina read before her eyes widened. She continued to read from where she left off. "_The Hyūga was not willingly comply with us but it is quite all right; nothing a bit of sedatives couldn't help with. His eyes were so perfect and his sight was well beyond a normal Hyūga. Longer range, sharper vision and closer to 360 degrees than any Hyūga before him. I do not trust Han to do the operation alone. He has always been jealous of my work and only wishes to seek the Raikage's praise. Worthless dog; but, I digress._"

Kushina continued as the log explained how successful the transplant of the surviving eye went. It went to some man and he seemed to handle the new sight well enough. Still, it wasn't enough for Kumogakure, they needed another Byakugan user, but a pair of eyes, not just one.

The last log in was written about two weeks ago.

"_I still can't believe the eye disintegrated! It's... It's impossible! A year with the eye and his vision completely fades! How tragic and worse off, I am the one to blame! I have been shunned and exiled; I am expected to leave within the hour. I know how to restore my honor, though! Through a contact that calls himself _White Snake_, I have been able to find out that a Hyūga is leaving the village to perform a mission. This will be my time to strike! I will return the girl and be welcomed into my village with open arms!_

_I must go, the ANBU are here to escort me out of the village. But I will return,_" Kushina finished as she closed the book. She drifted off, thinking of all that she read. She blinked when she heard footsteps above her.

"Hide," Itachi breathed out as he and Kushina hid. Within minutes, five ANBU entered the room. Kushina turned to Itachi.

"The hell are they doing here?" she mouthed. Itachi shrugged his shoulder.

***.*.Earlier.*.***

"Yo bro!"

"Be quiet and sit down," A chided as he sat in his favorite chair in his chambers. After the bed, his chair was the comfiest thing in the room. His chambers consisted of a bookcase on the far end with multiple books, most he has read. His bed sat on the other end with his chair to the right. A big TV hung off beside the bookcase with a desk just to the right of that. The two windows were just as big as the TV and it let a generous amount of moonlight to shine into his room.

"I'm chill. So what's up?"

"B, I want you to tell me how far the two from Konoha have gotten. How much do they know?" A asked, looking at B and watching his movements.

"About as much as I do," B answered frankly, causing his brother to sweatdrop.

"I see," he said before chucking a book at B, who caught it. He opened it and began to read it, his expression always changing as he did.

"This could be useful to those Leaves, fool," he said as he stood, closing the book. "Want me to deliver it?"

"Are you insane?" A scolded as he grabbed the book from B. Or at least he tried to, B was quicker.

"What's the problem?"

"This information is too dangerous to hand to the enemy!"

"But they're not the enemy," B countered smoothly as he continued to evade his brother's rather violent advances.

"B! You're too naïve to understand how these things work," A stopped and took a breather. He stared at his brother, trying not to attack the fool. "Today, they're nice to you, but tomorrow, I can guarantee that you'll find a kunai sticking out of your back!" B just stood where he was, taking in his brother's words. "I know how sly Konoha tries to be, with their talk of peace and whatnot. I've been duped by one before, and I'm lucky to be alive now."

"Bro..."

"Give me the book, B!"

The two continued to stare at each other before continuing the argument. They argued for hours before finally, B felt his will break. He rose his arm to toss A the book, only to be interrupted by an ANBU.

"Lord Raikage, Lord B," he said as he knelt before them.

"What is it?"

"The two Konoha shinobi are not in their rooms. In fact, the faculty at the hotel has seen neither hide or hair of the two since they first checked in.," he informed his leader. A turned to his brother with a knowing and disgusted smirk.

"Did I not tell you? I warned you that they were not to be trusted, B!" A moved to get his white sleeveless coat. "ANBU, where are these two?"

"They're at the old man's home," B said as he looked down at the floor.

"How do you know?" A asked, riled up.

"They asked me to take them on a sort of tour tomorrow, to see the places the old man had gone to while he was here," B answered monotonously. A just stared at his brother a while longer before focusing on the ANBU.

"You heard him! Send a squad of ANBU to recover them!" the ANBU nodded and went to fulfill the command given to him by his leader. B looked up when he felt A's giant hand land on his left shoulder. He could see compassion in the man's eyes, which was very rare to see. "You did the right thing, B. Now go rest up, it's late."

B said nothing as his brother left, probably going to prepare for the tongue-lashing and literal lashing he was going to give his two _guest_.

***.*.***

Kushina and Itachi watched as the home was suddenly invaded by ANBU coming from all directions. They were lucky they managed to slip past the five ANBU that got there first. If they had waited even a moment longer, they surely would've been caught now.

"Let's go back to Konoha; we have what we came for," Itachi suggested as they headed for the village's gates.

"Not like we have much of a choice," Kushina rebutted. They ran in silence before Itachi tossed Kushina the scroll where the book was sealed. She looked at him oddly but his only response was to smile knowingly.

When they reached the gates, Itachi intertwined his hands to give Kushina a boost over the large gates. They had read that Kumo's gates were made with a special, chakra-absorbing material so they decided to escape by other means. With chakra coursing through his hands and her feet, the two factors sent Kushina flying. At the peak of her flight, she was only ten feet shy of reaching the top. So, she did what anyone else in her position would do; she sent a spiked-chain out of her sleeves and it connected to the wall. She held on as she quickly proceeded to climb the rest of the way up before the wall absorbed the chakra.

Once at the top, Kushina retracted the chain, only to shoot another one down and connect with the ground beside Itachi. Itachi jumped on and used his chakra to run up the chain, making their escape much faster.

"**Lightning Style: Spear!**" a voice called out as a lightning bolt shot for Kushina's chain. Itachi jumped up and Kushina detached the chain from her so it wouldn't affect her. She immediately faced the attacker and flashed through hand signs. "Inform the Raikage that we found them!" the ANBU ordered as his two subordinates nodded before leaving.

"**Uzumaki Art: Chains of the Damned!**" she cried out as her hands glowed an eerie white before slamming them on the gate. The gate shook for a few moments before it became still. Suddenly, multiple chains shot out of the ground under the ANBU and wrapped around his arms, knees, ankles, torso and neck. He choked on his spit as the chains tightened before feeling spikes shoot into his skin from the chains. "This is where things get a little complicated for me," she told him with a sick smile.

While she captured the leader, Itachi was still in midair, his eyes closed.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot let you leave alive," his right eye snapped open and his Mangekyō Sharingan spun lively. The two unsuspecting ANBU were then surrounded by black flames, it's flame continuing to burn them even when they tried to put it out. "It is useless," Itachi said calmly as he landed beside his teacher. "The Amaterasu flames cannot be put out if I do not wish it."

"You see, my student here just killed two of your charges," Kushina continued, ignoring the man's constant whimpers and groans. "That's not going to look good for Konoha and you're a witness; I can't have any witnesses."

Without needing to be told, Itachi walked up to the man just as Kushina pulled on the chains, causing the man to fall to his knees, his head pulled back. Itachi extended his right hand and grasped the man's head, making him look up at him. Only the Uchiha's left eye was open, and suddenly, the ANBU found himself tied to a table, his body too shocked to move.

"What's going on?" he shrieked as he took in his environment. The sky was a bloody red, the ground was actually a black sea. Even his skin was as black as night.

"We will be here for quite awhile; seventy-two hours, to be exact," Itachi's voice echoed as he rose from the black sea. With speeds too quick for the ANBU to follow, Itachi had a kunai pointing at the man's heart. "Let's begin."

A second later in the real world, the man fell limp and Kushina released him. She gave Itachi some time to recover, she knew it wasn't easy to brush off Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi when he performed them one after another.

"Let's go," he said a moment later and the two jumped down, using the correct technique to land without breaking their legs or killing themselves. Itachi helped Kushina with her landing though, using Susanoo's right hand to catch her.

"I can take care of myself," she chided but Itachi ignored her as they ran towards the bridge. They stopped when they saw B standing in the middle of the bridge, his arms folded and a frown on his face.

"B," Kushina gasped.

"Only one of you leaves," B said, surprising Kushina but Itachi had expected as much. He took out his black coat and tossed it to the side, hitting the ground with a light thud. Under his coat, he wore his old ANBU uniform, still in great condition.

"Itachi..."

"Go sensei, I can handle this," he said, following it up with a nod to B. the Jinchūriki walked to the edge of the bridge to jump over the handle and fall. Itachi understood and walked to the edge of the village's platform.

"You're crazy if you think-"

"There's no time to think, sensei. You have to deliver that book to Konoha as fast as you can," he informed her before falling forward, following after B. Kushina watched him go, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists.

Just as Itachi expected, B had landed on one of the natural earth spikes. He landed on the tip of one a few hundred feet away from B and the two stared at each other. Without needing a signal, the two jumped into action and met in a clash of steel, B with one of his blades and Itachi with a kunai. The two parted before continuing their dances of their blades. B was able to keep up with Itachi but he knew if the Uchiha were to take this seriously, he would be able to make B's head spin.

As they parted for the last time, Itachi smirked. "Use your blades," he said, getting a raised eyebrow from B. "All of them."

He got it now.

Taking out his seven blades, he positioned them just where they needed to be for his fighting style before flying towards Itachi. Taking out another kunai, Itachi waited patiently for the Jinchūriki before parrying off two blades. He twisted his body just as a third blade tried to tear his left arm off. He was surprised to feel a light scratch appear on his ANBU uniform. Then another... and another...

Itachi jumped away from B, his shock still setting in from the speed B moved. B chuckled as he spun the blades in his hands. Itachi's eyes narrowed as the once onyx shade shifted to a blood red with three magatamas surrounding each pupil. The two met again as they deflected, parried or evaded each of the other's attacks. They continued their fight until Itachi eventually got rid of all but one of B's blades. They separated and both panted heavily, but none more than B.

"You wanted to fight me, but we both know you can't win unless you use everything you got," B looked at Itachi behind his sunglasses, his sweat dripping from his overheated face. He growled but a second later, B was surrounded by the Hachibi's chakra. In his demon cloak, B looked like a black-as-night, humanoid ox with red chakra surrounding him and four chakra tails swirling and swaying behind him.

Faster than Itachi could blink, B was on him, his lariat catching Itachi off guard and sending the Uchiha prodigy flying back into the giant structure of rock supporting Kumogakure. Debris surrounded Itachi's landing area and B growled silently as he waited for Itachi to recover. However, his patience wore thin quickly and he sped towards the downed genius.

"Patience," Itachi's calm voice echoed as a hand made entirely of chakra shot out of the debris and grabbed B before sending him through five boulders. The Jinchūriki looked up to see a ribcage hover around Itachi as liquid flames circled each rib.

B let out a primal growl as he raced up to Itachi once more, but he shook his head in disappointment. He stood there, watching as B ran up to him with incredible speeds. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough as two hands appeared and held B back just before his fist could touch the Uchiha.

"This is not enough," Itachi scolded as he began to squeeze B before chucking him to the rock holding up his village. "I'll give you one last chance; hit me with everything you have or I will end this."

B dug himself out of the debris and stood still. Itachi watched as he seemed lost in his thoughts; he assumed he was talking to his inner-tenant.

A chilling presence filled the area, and surrounded Itachi, like a fog. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as B began to transform into the Hachibi. "So this is his true form? I must say, I'm quite impressed-" he didn't have much time to continue his sentence as a gigantic tentacle came down on him. The octopus-ox exhaled through its nose but did not wait for Itachi to retaliate as it raised its tentacle, only to replace it with a second one with twice the force. He continued to do this until he felt satisfied and needed to take a breather.

"Nice effort," Itachi praised as black flames suddenly enveloped the tentacle. The Hachibi cried out in pain as the flames thoroughly burned its tentacle with relative ease. The giant was relieved when the flames died down. "Not yet, this is just starting to be entertaining," Itachi stated as he completely summoned the Mangekyō Sharingan's ultimate ninjutsu; Susanoo.

The Hachibi was still a head taller than Susanoo but they both knew better than to conclude that size would determine the outcome. The two monstrosities met down the middle and proceeded to have a test of strength, which the Hachibi had a slight advantage of. He spun and tossed Susanoo back, but it was able to correct itself.

The Hachibi wasted no time as it combined its lightning chakra with its yin and yang chakra and sending the resulting Tailed Beast Blast to Susanoo. It confused it to see the blast just disappear when it collided with Susanoo, though the confusion was cleared when it was revealed that Susanoo had defended himself with the infamous Yata Mirror. Deciding against ninjutsu, the Hachibi ran up to Susanoo and sent a thunderous punch at the Yata Mirror, sending the smaller monster back. The Eight-Tails continued the assault until Susanoo was up against a wall. Its instincts kicking in, the Hachibi jumped back just as a ring of black flames pulsed from the warrior.

"Time to end this," Itachi commented as he commanded Susanoo to put away the Yata Mirror and slammed its hands together. Not wanting to find out what the Uchiha had planned, the Hachibi summoned up another Tailed Beast Blast and released it, taking advantage of both of Susanoo's hands being occupied.

And yet, the result was the same; Susanoo pulled out the Yata Mirror with a second pair of arms just below its original ones. When Susanoo separated his hands, a long thread of chakra connected the two, with multiple magatamas hanging from it. With a gesture of his hands, the magatamas were sent flying towards the Hachibi, causing a large explosion to rock the earth under them.

Itachi panted as he deactivated Susanoo. That last attack had taken its toll on his chakra reserves.

His eyes shot open as the Hachibi let out a frustrated, if not weak, growl. He saw the Bijū still standing and getting ready to annihilate him with a third Tailed Beast Blast. Itachi knew he wasn't fast enough to summon Susanoo to fend off the attack and he was too out of breath to outrun the blast's radius.

Lucky for him, a familiar looking chain wrapped itself around the ox's mouth and succesfully stopped the blast from being released. More chains, thicker than Itachi had ever seen them before, rained down on the Bijū and kept it tied up quite tightly. The Eight-Tails fell with a ludicrously loud thud and Itachi had to protect his eyes from the debris. When he was sure he wasn't going to be blinded, he looked up to see his mother-figure standing over the Hachibi victoriously.

"Took you long enough," Itachi taunted, making Kushina laugh. The victory was short lived as A appeared behind Kushina using his infamous speed.

"You both will not be leaving alive!" the angry man declared as he back handed Kushina, sending her flying towards Itachi who caught her. He put her down after making sure she was okay but the two were separated by the Raikage. He grabbed the two by the shoulders and spun, releasing them and making their backs hit a spiked boulder by its side. Itachi felt his vision blur, not so much by the hit but it sure didn't help clear his head or sight. He had used Susanoo too much and now his vision was paying the price. It'd return to normal soon, but by the looks of things, soon was as close as a millennium.

Kushina stood as quickly as she could and ran through two hand signs before A appeared in front of her and held on to her wrists. He gave her wrists a teasing squeeze but to the redhead, it felt like there was half a ton of pressure being applied to her wrists. She let out a pained gasp but did not scream; she would not give him the pleasure of hearing her scream.

"You have killed my ANBU, harmed my brother, and worse of all, made me lose my patience!" he growled out, squeezing her wrist with each thing he listed. "I will not stand for it! I want retribution! You will scream for me, bitch!" he demanded as his other hand shot up and he used the tips of his fingers to clench down on her neck. She let out another gasp but she refused to scream. "I want to hear you beg for your life!"

"Go to... hell!" she countered as she spit in his face. This had taken the Raikage aback, but he didn't release the stubborn woman. Instead, this only angered the man more as he tightened his grip on her wrists and neck. She held in her scream as she bit the inside of her cheek.

"Resilient," A stated as he loosened his hold. In fact, he had released Kushina, letting her slowly fall to her knees before groaning at having her hair pulled. She squinted her eyes open and saw A pull back his right knee. A sent his right knee forward, straight into Kushina's face while at the same time releasing her hair. She flew back straight through a spiked boulder and rolled to a stop.

A laughed viciously at seeing such a powerful shinobi weakened and abused to such an extent; by him no less. Still, he had to frown as a thought hit him; why would she protect her stomach instead of her face?

When the answer came to him, it brought such a grin to his face that if it was any wider, it just might literally split his face in half.

"A child?" the man barked in amusement, and Kushina's body tensed up. "I can't believe that blond wimp had the balls to impregnate someone as crazy as you," A mocked with another bellow of laughter. Kushina felt her rage accumulating inside her; she hated being talked down to. It reminded her of her childhood.

"Shut up!" she said weakly as she struggled to get on her hands and knees. She looked up and glared at A; that single glare shook the man to his core. "Minato is more of a man than you'll ever be," a smirk graced her bleeding lips. "At least he doesn't need to compensate for a small manhood with a giant, overrated castle for a office!"

"Bitch!" A moved over her and grabbed her head as if he was holding a small orb. Her eyes widened with fear before he slammed her head onto the ground. The force made the ground under them crack and also busted her head open. Blood traveled down her open wound and her once lively violet-blue eyes dulled and the color faded. "You're in no position to criticize me. Besides, size isn't everything."

Even through the pain, a weary smile made its way to her lips. "Oh honey," she said weakly after coughing. "I can only imagine how many times a woman has said that to you."

"Silence!" he said as he applied pressure to her head. She didn't flinch, nor did she even show that she was in pain; her body was already in so much pain that it was shutting on her. A twisted his body back, just as Itachi appeared with both arms extended out and a kunai in his hands. A made quick work of the Uchiha as he punched him in the face and the force sent his body back into another spiked boulder.

"Dammit," Itachi cursed as his vision worsened. He was still too weak.

A turned his focus back on Kushina to see her balled up in the fetal position, making sure that her unborn child was protected. The Raikage just laughed as he clasped his hand together and brought it down on Kushina. For her part, all she did was whimper. A continued his assault on Kushina, every once in a while moving her limbs to try to hit her stomach. Stubborn as she was, even in such a state, Kushina fought against the Kage and protected her child, like the dedicated mother she was.

"Minato," she breathed as she soldiered through the attacks. "Make it stop... make it end..."

"How pathetic! Calling for your husband to fight your battles!" A taunted, never letting up.

"I... n-need you," tears stained Kushina's dull eyes. "the... the baby needs you..." she closed her eyes shut and squeezed her tears out. "I-I'm sorry... I'm not strong enough... to do it..." at this point, A ignored her words; they weren't directed to him and she was delusional anyway. He paused his assault for a while to lift her off the ground by her hair. Kushina still protected her stomach as A attacked her with his left fist and alternated between his left and right leg. A grinding sound filled her ears, followed by silence...

And then, the pain stopped. Kushina slowly opened her eyes as she felt her body fall back, almost afraid to find out that A had actually stopped to do something worse.

"I'm here now," his voice told her; his strong, wonderful voice. She closed her eyes and felt her husband catch her before she hit the ground.

"You came... for us," Kushina mumbled, unable to open her eyes to look at her and their child's savior.

"I'll always come for my family," Minato said, his eyes full of tears. He had never seen Kushina so beat up, not even when they defended Naruto from the Kyūbi. He held her for what seemed like forever before he noticed that she had lost consciousness. "Itachi," he called out, never taking his eyes off his wife. Itachi grunted. "Can you walk?"

"Yes," he said as he walked to her sensei and Hokage. He knew what Minato wanted him to do but he waited for the blond to hand him his wife. "I'll keep her safe," he told Minato as he walked off. Minato watched as Itachi went to the far end of the area and placed Kushina down. He took out a large scroll, unrolled it and applied a bit of blood to it. A green barrier began to bubble out of the scroll until it solidified into a cube, protecting Itachi and Kushina. Itachi wasted no time as he began to heal his sensei with what little medical ninjutsu he learned from his sensei.

"You!" Minato shifted his attention to A whose nostrils were flaring and hatred lit up the Raikage's eyes.

"I got to say, A," Minato said, a little too calmly for someone who was facing the man who beat his wife within an inch of her life. "In a sick, twisted way, I'm almost glad we're meeting like this," his voice grew colder and colder as he spoke.

"How so?"

"I've got some pent up anger I've been dying to release," Minato said through clenched teeth. His body was surrounded by his chakra and A was surprised to see golden sparks jump around his body every once in a while. "And what better way to release said anger than by killing the man who did that," he said harshly, pointing to his wife, "to my wife?"

A laughed loudly, though he had not intended for it to sound as hollow as it came out. "You? Kill me?"

"Prepare yourself, Raikage," Minato advised as he fell into his battle stance with his trademark three-pronged kunai in his right hand. "I will not hold back and I will take advantage of _all_ openings I see."

"Don't-" A couldn't even finish as Minato tossed the kunai at him. A avoided it but he didn't even blink and Minato was already gone. Minato had used his famed Hiraishin to appear behind A just as the kunai harmlessly passed by him. He grabbed the kunai and swung with tremendous force. A was glad he wore his golden arm braces for it was them that had kept his right hand connected to his wrist when he moved to block the swing.

"Next time, I won't be as slow," Minato warned as he jumped back as A was surrounded by lightning.

"Let us see which Kage is the fastest!" A shouted.

"Let's," with that, the two disappeared.

* * *

**Sorry, I don't have enough time to comment... Can't wait to finish the next chapter! It'll be a blast!**

**Hope you enjoyed it!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Ok, so here's the anticipated chapter 19!**

**I hope the fight reaches your expectation... If not, then let me know what I did wrong and I'll fix it...**

***Warning* Minato gets a little... OOC, if you will...**

* * *

Like a rubber band being pulled from both directions, Minato's patience was wearing thin. The supposed Kage of Kumogakure was nothing but a sniveling coward who'd rather fight with his words than with his own fists if he was faced with someone of his level. The man who was almost twice Minato's size was running off, barely ahead of the Yellow Flash. If he desired, the fight-to-the-death would've been over five minutes ago, when he first showed up. But all the rage, all the tension, stress and pent up aggression he bottled up inside of him since that fateful night fourteen years ago needed to be released. And finally! Fourteen years later, he found a way to let go of every single drop of it in the form of the cowardly man in front of him.

Being Hokage, he was in the top five toughest Shinobi his village had to offer – with him, needless to say, on top of that list. With his speed, intellect, raw strength and chakra reserves – just to name a few – not many proved to be much of a challenge. He would toy with his minion, like a panther would a prey; or so Kushina liked to put it when she saw him 'spar' with Kakashi, Obito, and even Itachi, respectively.

And that was only him fighting without his Hiraishin and elemental jutsus. The blond was Death in sheep's clothing and everyone in Konoha knew that; with only Kushina, Kakashi, Obito and Itachi knowing about half of what the blond was capable of doing if he ever decided to get serious.

Tonight would be the night that the Raikage would be the first to see all of what Minato could do – if he didn't die first.

"Stop running," the infuriated blond howled at the running Kage, but A seemed oblivious of the Minato's demand. Minato's eyes narrowed as he put more power into his legs and flew past a blinking A. He skidded to a stop while accumulating chakra in the palm of his right hand and spinning it wildly.

"**Rasengan!**" the blond declared as he thrust his right hand forward, only for it to hit the body of an ANBU. Minato wasn't surprised, he knew A was heading closer to Kumo so his ANBU could help give him the advantage. With five ANBU warriors standing behind the Raikage, Minato knew the only thing the five ANBU did was make their fight more even.

The ANBU wasted no time in delivering a counterattack to defend their _fearless_ leader from the blond _menace._

"Five to one? Your odds don't look too good, Hokage," A boasted as his five ANBU zipped up and formed a circle surrounding Minato. Wordlessly, the ANBU flashed through hand signs before they all stopped on boar. The ANBU all created whips made of water and they commanded the whips to wrap themselves around each of Minato's appendages. The blond felt no worry or adrenaline shoot through his veins; he was not afraid to be caught by the whips, knowing they would do nothing but sizzle his clothes.

So, Minato took out a second three-pronged kunai and jumped into the air. As he expected, the whips changed their behavior from just whips to snakes and aimed upward, still heading in his direction. He threw both kunai in opposite direction, both embedding themselves into a tree or the ground respectively. Before they could catch him, he teleported to the kunai embedded into a tree. His right hand grasped the handle while he used his hands and feet to stick to the tree. With ease, the blond retrieved his weapon that was buried up to the side blades in the tree.

The ANBU on his side turned and with their free hand created more whips to restrain him with. The Hokage jumped down and ricocheted off to the group of ANBU. With their jutsu still active, they moved so they all stood in front of Minato. Now equipped with two water whips each, the ANBU had Minato running all over the place, jumping from ground to tree, from tree to whip and so on. He was so quick that the ANBU were beginning to think they would not catch him without some outside interference.

And for a second, their target was gone. He wasn't gone as in he ran off; he just disappeared! Out of thin air!

"You fools!" they heard their leader chided, and suddenly, a chill ran up each ANBU's spine.

"If I was taking any of you seriously, you'd all be dead," Minato taunted as they each felt him poke their back. Minato jumped away just as each turned to entrap him in their whips. Flips, rolls, jumps and even cartwheels were preformed by the blond as he nimbly evaded all snake-like whips. He disappeared in a yellow flash and punched or kicked each ANBU, not hard enough to knock them out or give them a concussion. He wasn't taking them seriously and he was showing them that if he wanted to, he could kill them whenever he wanted.

"I've had enough!" A shouted furiously as he appeared behind Minato and sent a harsh punch to Minato's back. The blond rolled forward and faced the Raikage with pure rage sparking his eyes. The Raikage kept himself from shuddering and kept glaring at his foe, just long enough for him get caught by all ten whips. Two whips circled each of his arms and legs while one tightened around his neck and the last wrapped around his waist. They pulled on the whips and his arms and legs spread as far and as painfully as they could. "Now!"

Not needing to be told twice, his minions' hands began to light up with chakra before converting it to lightning. The lightning traveled up the whips and began to shock the blond. Minato cried out from the pain as his body tensed and pulled on the whips. The ANBU were surprised when they were forced to cancel the lightning just so they could keep a grip on the whips. When they lightning stopped running through his body, Minato's body fell limp but he managed to only fall to one knee.

His confidence growing at seeing his adversary in such a state, A walked up to the restrained blond and stood in front of him, watching as he panted like a dog.

"Just give up, you will fall to me in the end," A told him, as if he had seen the future. Minato continued to pant before he became silent and his shoulders began to shake. His breathing became uneven and his head hung lower than it did before. "That's right, cry, you pathetic dog. Pray for mercy-"

Minato interrupted A when threw his head back in laughter. It was no ordinary laughter, though; it sounded crazed, almost insane. A growled at such display and gripped the Kage's shirt and lifted him off his knees. He brought him up to eye-level and shook him. "What's so funny?"

"Your arrogance," Minato stated just as he reared his head as back as it could before swing it forward with all the force he could accumulate. The result was one of the worst headaches A has ever gotten. The Raikage fell on his back, holding his nose – which bled from the blow – and scooting away from the deranged-looking blond.

"End this!" A ordered and the ANBU complied as they charged their lightning and sent it to the Hokage. Already up on his feet, the whips and the lightning forced his body to straighten and his limbs to stretch out. The blond let out another cry, eliciting a smirk on each of the ANBUs' face. He suddenly stopped and let out a short chuckle.

"Just kidding," Minato clenched his teeth and forced his limbs to get closer to his body. He bent his knees and arms as they came closer and closer before he let out a primal yell. Surprising everyone in the area, the lightning that was shocking him just stopped without the ANBUs' consent.

Taking advantage of their initial shock, Minato pulled on the whips holding his wrists as hard as he could, making the two ANBU fly towards him. His hands made a one-handed ram sign and a momentary flash later, two three-pronged kunai appeared in his hands. As the two ANBU neared him, he bent his knees and lowered his body, keeping his arms on his sides before thrusting them in the opposite direction, stabbing them deep in the ANBUs' stomachs. Not wanting to give the others time to recover, he freed his kunai from the cadavers' body and threw them at the ANBU with his whips holding his neck and waist, and the one holding his right leg. Bulls-eye; they hit the dead-center of the ANBUs' forehead.

The last surviving ANBU just stared at Minato behind his mask, his eyes wide with fear and despair. There would be no point in begging for his life, for in Minato's eyes, it was obvious that mercy was not something he was capable of doing at the moment.

In a flash, he was gone.

The ANBU gasped audibly, sweat drenching his body as cold, instinctual fear pumped in his blood. His eyes widened as Minato grasped both sides of his head from behind him. With a quick twist and loud snap, the ANBU fell to his knees prior to hitting the ground, dead long before his knees even touched the ground.

A kept an angry look on his face but a fear clenched his heart and stomach in a vice-grip. Still, the blond had his head bowed, his eyes off him. A took advantage of this by appearing in front of him and wrapping him in a bear-hug before the blond could stop him. Minato's cold eyes just looked up, no worry or fear or pain etched in them. They almost seemed hollow.

He applied pressure but he still didn't get a reaction from his foe, so he anted up and activated his lightning armor. He laughed haughtily, thinking it would cough up a reaction but his eyes widened when Minato did nothing, not even wince in pain.

"What is wrong with you?" A shouted in fear and anger, applying more pressure to Minato's back. And yet, Minato's back did not bend to A's will or force, it was as straight as it normally was.

"I'm used to lightning running through my body," Minato said passively as he forcefully spread A's hands as if he was opening a door. A couldn't tell how he knew, but he knew that what Minato said was a lie. With speed belonging to a man who's earned a nickname with the word _Flash _in it, Minato thrust an open palm forward before the man could get his hold on Minato again and sent the Raikage back. The Hokage landed on his feet, dusting off any dirt on his white trench coat.

A rolled to his feet and let out a frustrated growl through clenched teeth. It infuriated him to think that the blond idiot was able to land such a blow on him – on top of the fact that he wasn't even serious. True, A wasn't taking Minato as seriously as he should, but he was the Raikage, he shouldn't have to take anyone serious; he was the best of the best, after all!

The Raikage's heart stopped as a chilling and eerie chakra spilled out in the area around him. But where did it come from? Minato didn't seem to be aware of the eerie chakra.

"A," Minato called out as he placed his kunai back in his pouch. "It's time we take this seriously," he said, causing A's eyes to widened slightly at that and seeing a spark of mischief in the blond's eyes. "The warm up was fun and all, but this next part, I'm going to enjoy the most."

"You... arrogant...!" A stumbled on his words unintelligibly. Minato smirked as he bent his knees, preparing to strike.

***.*.***

Itachi mumbled to himself, keeping his hands over his godmother and making sure she didn't die right in his hands.

"Everything will be okay," Itachi told her every once in a while. Her eyes kept closing but he would wake her up by yelling her name.

"I'm tired, Itachi..." she said weakly, her head lolling from one side to the other. "Just make sure the baby is okay," she ordered.

"But you..."

"We both know what's going to happen to me," she said seriously, her eyes connecting with Itachi's eyes. She closed them, too tired to keep them open for too long, but a sincere smile graced her lips all the same. "I'm okay with it. What I'm not okay with, though, is the death of my child."

"But... sensei-" Itachi stopped in mid-sentence when Kushina grasped his collar and pulled him close to her. Her eyes sprang open and her eyes glared holes into Itachi as the intensity in his godmother's eyes scared him.

"If my child does not make it out of this, and I do, I will make sure to make your life a living hell," she said fiercely and Itachi nodded, glad when she released her hold on his collar. He sighed and moved his hands over her stomach and his eyes widened. "What is it?" she asked, thrown off by the look of surprise on Itachi's face.

"The heartbeat," Itachi mumbled, his eyes never leaving her stomach. "To feel... actual life..." he said softly before he drifted off. Kushina smiled at seeing Itachi like that, he was such a child sometimes.

_'I think I'll take a nap,'_ Kushina thought as her vision began to blur and it was odd to her just how hard it was to stay awake. She closed her eyes, her breathing slowed down and she suddenly lost all feeling in her body. She drifted off, her hand sliding off of her stomach and falling limply to the ground.

That snapped Itachi out of his thoughts and he looked at his sensei, fear keeping him in place and his breath hitched in his throat, unconsciously thinking his stillness was what was keeping her alive.

He shook his head and moved to check if she was okay but then he remembered the unborn child living in her stomach. He kept his hands over it, making sure that no matter what happened, it would live for another day.

***.*.***

Minato and A let out a battle cry as they met down the middle, kunai clashing against kunai. Minato stared down A as he pushed the bigger man back. Jumping high into the air, Minato spun and extended out his right leg just as he was about to land on A. The Raikage blocked the heel kick with his forearms but the force of the blow surprised him. No matter how long he'd known Minato or how long they fought, the smaller man's strength always surprised him. Speed was something Minato looked like he had but strength too? A assumed that's how Minato won at least half his fights.

"**Rasengan!**" Minato cried out and A just narrowly escaped the attack. His attack hit the ground under them and caused debris and dust to fly into the air. Minato turned his head, his eyes connecting with A as the Raikage was still in the air. Time seemed to stop as the two Kages just stared into each others' eyes, determining their determination and will to fight by the spark illuminating their eyes. A message was received by both fighters, and it shook A to his core when it hit him.

The Raikage would not be walking out of the fight the same.

While Minato received a darker message, the point was still the same. And, as if to prove his point, Minato disappeared in front of the Kage's eyes. It wasn't the Hiraishin, A knew it wasn't. Just before he vanished, Minato's form became like static, electricity sparking off his body like a faulty wire.

Turning, A extended his right arm and surprised Minato by grabbing his neck.

"You're so predictable!" A mocked as he slammed the blond onto the ground before beginning to run, dragging Minato's back into the ground as he did. He stopped short of running into a tree, lifted Minato and pinned him to the tree with his hand still squeezing the life out of him from his neck. "Just give up, I could snap your neck like a twig now! Or, you could beg for mercy," A said in a condescending tone. Minato scrunched his face as no air entered his lungs.

Minato's right hand shot into his pouch and he chucked one of his special kunai up. A moved back a bit just as the kunai harmlessly passed his face. The kunai flew high in the sky, higher than A would've thought.

"That was just sad," Minato's only response was to smile and open his right eye. He grumbled something but was not coherent to A. "What?" he loosened some of his grip so Minato could speak.

"If you don't mind, I'd like a change of scenery," and before A could even register what he said, Minato held on to A's arm with both hands. A second later and A felt like he had gone through a tornado and popped out on the other side. He opened his eyes and saw that he was hundreds of feet in the air. Completely forgetting the man in front of him, he released his grip and just stared at the ground that was quickly getting closer to him.

"AH!" he yelled out in pain as he felt a kunai embed itself into his left leg. He growled as he ripped the weapon out of his leg and turned his head to see Minato smiling faintly. He disappeared in a flash and then A felt another kunai dig into his lower back. It missed his vertebrae by only an inch at most. And as he removed the kunai, it was then that A realized that Minato still wasn't taking him seriously. This boiled his anger much more than anything else Minato could've possibly done.

"I'm not done," Minato said as he continued to use Hiraishin to appear around the Raikage, kicking and punching him at every opening. The onslaught was too much for A so he brought his arms and legs together to protect his torso and face. A kick to his back, a punch to the back of his head, a knee to his shins, and so on; Minato feverishly attacked the man as the two continued to fall from the sky.

Suddenly, the punches and kicks stopped coming and A looked up, only to see Minato nose-diving towards him, a Rasengan spinning wildly in his right hand. There was something different about this Rasengan, though.

Lightning roared defiantly as the lightning originated from the omphalos of the chakra sphere, contained by the attack's outer shell. "**Lightning Style: Rasengan!**" Minato cried out as he thrust his hand forward. Before A could set up his defenses again, Minato buried his Jutsu into the Raikage's stomach. Already hit from a Rasengan when Minato first showed up, A felt like his insides were about to blend together like fruits in a blender. A could fell the actual Rasengan tearing at his skin while feeling the stinging of the lightning trapped inside. The lightning's light intensified and Minato's left hand held his right arm in place. With an impressive display of nature manipulation and chakra control, Minato shot the Rasengan like cannon from his palm, the attack still composed and spinning.

A shot down to the Earth faster than he did before and his landing caused the Earth to shake; his body hit the ground with a blunt _thud_ before the Rasengan swelled up to the size of a small hut and exploded, releasing all the chakra and lightning it kept within. A bellowed out in pain as his skin and nerves were receiving a harsh beating. The Hokage landed on his feet beside the crater, as soundless and weightless as a leaf. He stared into the crater, his sight of the Raikage obstructed by the debris and smoke coming from his body.

A yell was heard within the crater and A came out with his lightning armor cackling to life around him, his fist forward to drive into Minato's face. Minato dodged his fist with the use of his infamous Jutsu and kicked A on his back, driving him into the ground once again. A got to his feet quickly and continued to attack like an angry bull. His movements were sloppy and tense, his rage taking completely control of him. And yet, no matter what he did, he never touched a single lock of blond hair. He just kept disappearing in a flash of yellow and reappearing only to kick or toss him away like a rag doll.

"How do you continue to evade me with that damned Jutsu? You need a seal or those damn kunai to use it, don't you?" A cried out in frustration as he continued his assault. He swung both arms forward, hoping to catch him in another bear-hug. A flash of yellow blinded him for a second but he swung behind him with his left arm, trying to behead the blond annoyance. Minato ducked under the chop and caught his fist with both hands.

Veins swelled on A's arm as he tried to subdue Minato but he managed to hold his own, sweat traveling down his forehead. From his knees, Minato rose, managing to keep the monster that was the Raikage at bay.

"And why isn't my electricity affecting you?"

Minato just stared at A, his eyes cold and emotionless. A's eyes shifted to his fist when he saw movement on it. His eyes widened when he saw a seal formula crawl up his arm like a snake. A tried to retract his fist but Minato kept a tight hold on it. Electricity started to spark around Minato again, until he had what looked like his own yellow lightning armor. In Minato's eyes, time slowed down as he pushed A's arm to the side and fell into his fighting stance.

All too quickly, A's exposed torso was assaulted by Minato as his fists and kicks blurred, hitting his ribs, chest, stomach, his sides and even his face every once in a while. A couldn't believe that a human being could move as quickly as Minato was moving. He was already renowned as the fastest man – only second to Minato, of course – he even knew that he along with Minato had pushed the boundaries of speed for all Shinobi; but to see him push those limits even farther boggled and even scared A.

What was this man capable of?

The last hit to land on A was arguably the most devastating as he received the harsh kick to his chin. He flew far away from the blond and only stopped when he hit a tree and snapped it in half. He looked down at his body, seeing indents in them from Minato's fists and kicks. Yellow sparks still jumped from his wounds and bruises; he felt a stinging numbness jump around his body. His stomach was horribly disfigured by the last Rasengan, it looked like a whirlpool of skin and dried blood.

A grit his teeth from the pain his body felt and stood on his feet. He panted, the action taking more energy then he expected. Minato had waited for the man to stand; seeing as he did, the blond began to walk towards him before it turned into a full out sprint. A growled as he buried all ten fingers into the ground. Holding on tightly, he lifted the ground in front of him and now held a giant boulder of the Earth in his hands. It could easily be the size of a one-story home. Minato stopped running and stared up at the boulder, impressed by the strength A still had.

He reared it back before throwing the huge chunk of Earth at Minato. A smiled victoriously when he saw the boulder hit; Minato hadn't avoided it at all. It was almost like...

Before A could deduce anything else, the giant boulder disappeared in a flash of yellow. Shocked by the turn of events, A didn't notice the boulder reappearing behind him, with Minato riding on top of it. It hit A and sent the two rolling to a nearby cliff, where Minato jumped off before it rolled over the edge. A was not so fortunate.

As he fell, he knew that a few seconds after he hit the ground, the boulder would squish his body like a grape under a man's boot. The fall was nothing to laugh at either.

Another sudden through-a-tornado feeling passed through him and he opened his eyes to see him staring up at the sky, his back touching sweet, unmoving dirt. He painfully sat up to see Minato staring at him, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Wh... Why?" A stuttered out and Minato frowned.

"We're not done," Minato answered and A felt his blood get cold. He saved his life... only to continue the 'fight'. At this point, A knew he was not going to win the fight. The man was simply too powerful to be human. What was he?

Frustrated nonetheless, A charged at Minato and threw a punch. Minato tilted his head to the side, avoiding his punch with ease. A sent a kick to his ribs but Minato lazily caught it and pushed it back. It continued like that for a while, Minato blocking or dodging A's attack as if it was child's play. Finally, Minato felt his patience wear thin once again.

A reared his right fist back, about to give it his all but was stopped when Minato tapped his inner-shoulder with his left, electrified knuckles. A was startled when his entire arm went numb. Without warning, Minato did he same to his other shoulder, then his right knee and then his left. A fell to his knees and was about to fall on his face but Minato stopped him by grabbing him by his hair. He pushed him back and his hand shot for the dark-skinned man's neck. He didn't apply pressure to it, he just wanted to keep A still.

Rearing his right fist back, Minato proceed to beat A's face in. He continuously hit A's face over and over again with his tremendous strength. A busted lip, black eyes, and a broken nose were the least of A's worries. Minato felt enjoyment from beating A's face; with every punch, his smile widen. The feel of warm blood on his hands, the occasional grunt of pain A made and even the strain his arm felt from the excessive force. It was incredible, the rush of it all! He knew he had the power to kill many – hell, that's how he turned the tides at the Third Shinobi War. Still, actually doing it, taking his time and feeling the life slowly drain away as his fists continued to pummel A's face. Just exhilarating.

He released A for only a second, just so he could move behind him and grab both his wrists. He began to pull on his arms and was quite satisfied when he heard a pleasing pop come from both of A's shoulders. It took A a second to feel the excruciating pain shoot up to his brain but when he did, he let everyone within hearing range just how painful it was. Placing his foot on A's back, Minato pushed and made the great Fourth Raikage eat dirt. He kept his foot on his back, pushing him deeper into the ground, making Minato's grin split his face in half.

Kicking him to his back, Minato stood over A, watching as he seemed to fade in and out of consciousness. His right palm open, Minato accumulated his chakra to his hand, the Rasengan roaring to life before cackling with his lightning jumping around inside. He could drive the Rasengan through the man's heart, sate his bloodlust and get it over with.

Bits of the Sun's rays shined on the Earth as night ended, but the Hokage paid no mind to such trivial matters. Rain or shine, nothing would stop him now.

Minato sucked on his teeth, his arm tense and ready to strike like a viper. Finally, he cocked his arm back and buried the Elemental Rasengan into A's right knee. A cried out in pain as the Rasengan reduced his kneecap to thousands of pieces. Continuing to drill at what remained of his knee, Minato reluctantly teleported away, just as the ticking-time-bomb-like Rasengan exploded, separating A's leg from his thigh.

The explosion only amplified the pain as more foreign lightning began to short-circuit his leg. The pain was unbearable, too much for any normal human to handle and A was no exception. He felt his grip on the waking world slipping away as the pain began to fade away.

Minato's foot stomping on his neck woke A again and his terror-stricken eyes looked up at Minato who glared at A with cold hatred. His right hand moved into his line of sight and he whimpered when he saw another Elemental Rasengan.

"N-No! I beg you!" the poor man begged, tears streaming down his eyes and cheeks. Keeping his foot on the man's neck, Minato looked up, as if looking for an answer from the sky. He closed his eyes and sighed; he knew he was getting out of hand. He knew he should just disperse his Jutsu and let the man live his pitiful life; he wasn't a man who liked to kill. Unknown to him, the more his thoughts headed in that direction, his Rasengan began to shrink until it was the size of a pebble.

Then he saw Kushina in the state this man left her in. In an instant, the Rasengan was back to its original size before increasing its size to that of a human head. Looking down at his fellow Kage, Minato said nothing to him as he readied his Jutsu to end a life.

"Minato!" the blond looked up to see his sensei running to him, his eyes begging the Hokage to stop. Minato just stared at him a while longer before returning his attention to the soon-to-be dead man.

"**Storm Style: Laser Circus!**" a voice shouted and Minato jumped away just as multiple beams made their way towards him. He thought the beams would've hit the fallen Kage but he was surprised when they redirected themselves to continuing pursuing him. Using his Lightning Body Flicker, he was able to avoid all beams and end up standing next to Jiraiya.

"Kid, let's get out of here!" Jiraiya advised as he grabbed Minato's left shoulder. Minato tensed and for a second, he thought Minato was about to shove that Rasengan into his face. Lucky for him, Minato deactivated the Rasengan and bit his inner cheek. "Come on, their reinforcements are coming," Jiraiya informed him and Minato almost felt like laughing; he could take them all on.

He flinched when he searched within his chakra reserves; he had been reckless and exhausted a good chunk of it. He looked at the Raikage's savior; a fairly tall, dark-skinned man with a bulbous nose and shaggy, white hair. He wore a high collared, sleeveless uniform with loose-fitting pants, bandages on his wrists and a one-strapped Flak Jacket.

A had been lucky, the four knew that for a fact. With a last glance, Minato joined Jiraiya as they ran away from the Kage.

"How'd you get here?" Minato asked flatly, making Jiraiya internally shake.

"Your bodyguards; they insisted I come, just in case you needed the back-up," he said and chuckled, finding the whole statement ridiculous. Minato also found it ridiculous but he didn't find it as funny as Jiraiya did. Eventually, Minato ran faster than Jiraiya, wanting to see his wife. His eyes widened when she looked around and saw she wasn't where he left her.

"They probably took her back to get medical attention," Jiraiya said, noticing the look on his old student's face. "We should go to," he added and after a while, Minato just sighed and placed a hand on Jiraiya's shoulder, taking him back to Konoha.

**[*.*.*.*]**

Gatō was a very busy man. He had the entire village in the Land of Waves under his thumb, a horde of loyal mercenaries needing to be satisfied – he just lets them pillage any random town as long as it wasn't under his reign – and all of his money needed to be counted. Such a life...

"Boss," Gatō snorted as he was woken from his slumber. He glared at the lackey who entered his room.

"What?"

"Someone wants to see you... now," the thug said. Gatō finally took in the thug; he was a tall, pale man. Gifted with the body of a fighter, the man was pretty intimidating at worst, monstrous at best. And yet, Gatō was baffled that such a man could have fear etched in his face to such a degree and sweat dripping from his head like some scared little boy. Deciding that this might be worth his time, Gatō got dressed and followed the lackey to where his other thugs should be.

When he walked in, he was surprised when he saw about half of his men unconscious and piled up like dirty laundry. He moved around the pile of lackeys and saw two _teens_ near the entrance, their arms folded and a scowl on their faces.

"What is the meaning of this?" Gatō barked out in outrage. His eyes met with deep azure ones and his eyes widened. "You! I know you!"

The blue-eyed teen smirked as he comrade looked at him oddly. Standing tall for his age, the blue-eyed teen had spiky, silver hair and hid the lower part of his face with a mask. He wore baggy dark blue pants and sandals and had his entire torso and wrists covered in gauze. His companion wore similar clothes except he had a baggy sleeveless white shirt and his hair was longer and black.

They had a katana and a ninjato tied to their waist, respectively.

"How does he know you?" the black-haired teen asked incredulously.

"I'm sort of famous around this social circle," the silver-haired teen answered, mirth coloring his words.

"What does Iwa want with me?" Gatō asked, crossing his arms over his chest. The black-haired teen bit his inner cheek at that.

"Iwa has nothing to do with this," the silver-haired teen said, calming down Gatō's nerves. "No, we're here because we heard you got a sweet gig going on," he said with a sly smile.

"Heh, I don't know what you're talking about," Gatō said and turned to leave.

"That's too bad; I'd hate for all those drugs to go to such a waste," the black-haired teen commented, making everyone in the room tense. Gatō faced the two teens in his presences and walked up to them. Being so short, he had to look up but he didn't care.

"What did you say?"

"Listen, runt," the silver-haired teen pushed Gatō back his blue eyes shining with some fight in them. Gatō's men tensed and seemed to hesitate to fight, having seen a demonstration of the teens' prowess. "You might be a successful drug-trafficking overlord, but don't forget who helped you get that status," he informed him and Gatō stared at him with shocked eyes. The masked teen smiled under his mask and Gatō could've sworn he saw fangs.

"...what exactly do you want?" Gatō questioned, composing himself and reasserting himself as the big boss. The masked teen just smiled, his eyes crinkled.

"We just want in on this job, the one with the village in the Land of Waves," Gatō's eyes widened and the teen blinked when he saw his reaction. "What? Did you think I didn't know about what you're doing there?" Gatō said nothing. "You insult me with your ignorance. Did you think I'd come here, to you, and not know what I was getting myself-" the black-haired teen grunted, "and my associate into?"

"No, but-"

"Oh, I get it!" the masked teen laughed. "It's a surprise!" at this, Gatō wanted to decapitate the silver-haired nuisance. "I bet everyone here is wondering why you're wasting your time on a village that can't even grow a damn thing because it sucks so bad. I mean, it doesn't make sense; why would Gatō take over a pathetic place like that village? Wouldn't it be smarter – not to mention, better – to rule a prosperous village than a dump?" he looked around and saw that more than ninety percent of the room was baffled.

"You got the job!" Gatō cried out, hoping to shut the teen up. And the masked teen did, adding a smile to upset the short man even more. It seemed that his smile only served to annoy those who annoyed him. It was a gift and a curse. "Follow me, we have much to discuss," Gatō ordered as he turned to walk into his temporary home. The masked teen waved at his companion, unwittingly sticking his tongue out, and proceeded to complain about the taste of the mask.

His comrade glared at him, and when he disappeared, he noticed that all eyes were on him. He glared at each one of the thugs, making some flinch.

"Let's get something straight,' the black-haired teen began. "I will be the new leader, under Gatō. Any questions?"

"Yeah," one thug said, walking up to him. "Just one. Who died and made you the leader?" he asked, but he was surprised when the teen smirked.

* * *

**Not much to say to that besides the fact that Minato's pretty scary when he's pissed... Guess he has a thing for keeping his wife/child safe; who knew...**


	20. Chapter 20

**Yo! Yes, I'm alive...**

**I wish this was a new chapter update but sadly, no -.-...**

**I'm here to let you guys know that I'm gunna redo this story...**

**After rereading most of this, i realized that it kinda, if not mostly, sucks...**

**I'm not really sure what i was thinking when i was writing this but I honestly don't like the direction that this story is going... So, i'm gunna continue from where I started at chapter one and completely redo it...**

**Just a heads up, i'm probably not gunna update again for a while, life still sucks...**

**Good luck with whatever, peace!**


	21. Chapter 21

**So the rewritten story is up, chapter one anyway...**

** /s/8750021/1/Theft-of-a-Hero-A-New-Generation**

**obviously without the spaces and parenthesis...**

**hopefully, i get it going where i want it too...**

**Still, i think i'll keep writing for this one too, for when my muse is all over the place and i just can't keep it on one thing... **

**Who knows... Well, good luck with whatever!**


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